What Merz witnessed in Hangzhou was not the product of longer working hours. It was the result of massive, directed investment.

As the 2026 Ocean Impact Summit in Bali approaches, the global community faces a critical choice: bridge the massive financing gap for our oceans now or pay the staggering price of economic and environmental collapse later.

The government should know that gig workers want rights equal to most employees and anything less than comprehensive employer-sponsored schemes is just not enough.

As Middle East conflicts drive global price volatility, Indonesia must replace its outdated, "one-size-fits-all" LPG subsidy with a targeted direct-transfer system to protect both the poor and the state budget.

As gold surges past $5,200, the "exorbitant privilege" of the US dollar is facing a reckoning driven by policy overreach and a global trust deficit.

The war is a stark reflection of the law of the jungle still operates within the international community. 

The provisions in the Indonesia-United States Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) have once again drawn public scrutiny. This time, the debate extends beyond tariff reductions to a more sensitive issue: the possible easing of halal certification requirements for US products entering the Indonesian market.

Plastic waste remains a common sight on our streets, waterways and beaches, even as the government moves to phase out disposable polymers by 2030.

When dealing with problems that have a large degree of qualitative uncertainty or where the answer requires a judgment call, genAI is just as biased as most humans.

As Indonesia leans into informal diplomatic forums like the Board of Peace, it risks trading its historic "independent and active" principles for a personalized foreign policy that blurs the line between strategic leadership and quiet alignment.

This International Women's Day, a landmark survey shatters the myth that education and financial independence protect Indonesian women, revealing instead a hidden crisis of structural violence and digital threats.

An emergency summit could identify credible mediating actors and outline a division of labor among regional stakeholders to pursue arrangements that allow neutral inspection and joint coordination mechanisms to guarantee safe passage for energy shipments. 

The critical question now is not only whether the Strait of Hormuz will reopen, but how much more damage Iran will inflict on critical energy infrastructure.

One year in, Danantara has proven it can move mountains of capital, but the real test is whether it can move the needle on structural reform without falling into the old traps of state-directed lending.

The Indonesia–United States Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) reaches far beyond conventional tariff negotiations. While public debate has focused on potential export gains, the deal also includes provisions on investment, subsidy transparency and alignment with US regulatory standards that, over time, could narrow Indonesia’s room for maneuver in shaping its own industrial policy and development strategy.

With pressure building simultaneously on both the revenue and expenditure side of the budget, something has to give.

While Indonesia’s Gini coefficient suggests stability, a deeper look reveals a 'missing middle' and institutional designs that may be inadvertently be narrowing the gates of economic opportunity.

The government's commitment to women is being hollowed out by a "fiscal anemia" that favors bureaucrats over survivors through ruthless budget cuts that have institutionalized the abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, even as the country touts its "free and active" policy stance on the global stage.

Behind the viral outrage of a "disloyal" scholarship recipient lies a rigid bureaucratic formula that values physical presence over global impact. It is time to ask why Indonesia treats its brightest minds like office furniture rather than strategic national assets.

Beyond the recent outrage online, the recurring debate over LPDP awardees reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of how long-term national investment actually works.

Indonesia’s foreign policy has undergone major changes since President Prabowo Subianto took office in October 2024, but no change is more dramatic than in his Middle East policy, particularly in his approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Does it really help countries on the front line of climate change to cut emissions and adapt to its effects?

As disasters become more frequent, contingency funds prove insufficient, forcing local administrations to seek support from the central government, which seems to focus on its own priority programs.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day this year, let us remember that courageous leadership remains essential, not only to expand opportunities for women, but also to ensure that dignity, respect and safety are upheld in both the physical and digital spheres.

As military force bypasses diplomatic channels, the international order faces a perilous transition from a system governed by the predictability of law to one dictated by the selective whims of power.

The trajectory is clear: Jakarta is tilting toward Washington at a cost many fear will be borne by ordinary Indonesians.

Healthy markets rely on a paradox. They are built by the state but function best when the state does not dominate their day-to-day outcomes.