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t was all smiles as National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Zulkifli Hasan, who is also the speaker of the People'€™s Consultative Assembly, announced on Wednesday the party'€™s defection to the ruling coalition, ending months of speculation. The move was so momentous, at least in the eyes of President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, that he had it announced at the State Palace.

Whatever the motives behind PAN'€™s decision to jump ship, even laypeople can see it is a major boon for the Jokowi administration. With 45.7 percent of seats in hand and a disintegrated opposition in the House of Representatives, it is fair to predict that Jokowi will face no meaningful challenges in passing his government'€™s policies and programs. And although it is too early to talk about the 2019 presidential election, political calculation will put Jokowi in pole position, should he choose to run, thanks to the new landscape.

Like it or not, PAN'€™s much-anticipated entry to the Great Indonesia Coalition presages stability in the years to come, stability that the government sorely needs in order to implement its programs and especially its priority ones. Political stability will moreover help the administration regain the public and market confidence that has been severely shaken by economic woes that have reminded many among us of the crises of 2008 and 1998.

Jokowi has, in fact, met little serious opposition in the House when it comes to policy-making. He won the legislative power'€™s support for the revised 2015 budget, the withdrawal of the National Police chief candidate and the nomination of a new one and, most recently, the rejection of the House'€™s initiatives to amend the Corruption Eradication Commission Law, institute a constituency funds and begin seven construction projects within the House premises.

On the other hand Jokowi, despite criticism, has apparently let internal disputes plaguing two members of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, the Golkar Party and the United Development Party, drag on. He even contributed to the bitter conflicts by allowing his law minister to name official government-recognized factions within the two parties.

With PAN officially siding with the government, the ruling coalition certainly lives up to its name. Speculation is rife that the coalition leader, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), will stake a claim to the House speaker post, which slipped through its fingers last year following an amendment to House law engineered by the opposition. The party must, however, be wary of appearing too lustful for power.

Jokowi now enjoys a strengthened power base, although this will require him to offer something in return. This will contradict his pledge to not follow the power-sharing mechanism practiced by his predecessors,
but what else can he do? Realpolitik has to be accepted, not ignored.