The Constitutional Court's ruling on May 27, mandating that central and regional governments provide free education at elementary and junior high levels for all public and private schools, aims to promote equality in access to basic education. However, it is feared this decision may place a substantial financial burden on the state budget and have far-reaching implications for the operations of private schools in Indonesia, particularly premium ones.

Concerns over predatory pricing and unfair competition in Indonesia’s e-commerce landscape have resurfaced following the preliminary findings presented during Initial Commission Hearing on May 27, 2025, at the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) office. The commisison revealed a notable increase in market concentration after TikTok’s acquisition of Tokopedia, raising the risk of monopolistic practices such as tying, bundling, and the influx of low-cost, illegally imported goods onto the Tokopedia platform.

When President Prabowo Subianto said Indonesia will open diplomatic ties with Israel if it recognizes the state of Palestine, he was paraphrasing a long-held policy in which Jakarta categorically says “no” to any relationship with the Jewish state until Palestinians gain their independent and sovereign state. Same meaning, but he just put it differently.

Although the next presidential election is four years away, politicians across the country have already begun to boost their popularity in hopes of garnering enough support for a possible run. West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi is among the politicians trying their luck.

A series of corruption and fraud cases have been uncovered at several regional development banks (BPDs), including Bank Jabar dan Banten (BJB), Bank DKI Jakarta, Bank Jatim and Bank Jateng. These cases involve practices such as side streaming, fictitious debtors, hidden debtors and document forgery, resulting in losses amounting to trillions of rupiah. The revelations have raised serious concerns about weak corporate governance in the BPD sector.

The controversy surrounding an alleged fake university diploma belonging to former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo appears to be nearing resolution, though legal consequences for involved individuals could still result in criminal charges.

The long-awaited 2025-2034 Electricity Procurement Business Plan (RUPTL), launched by the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry on May 26, 2025, signals a shift in the government’s energy priorities—placing greater emphasis on energy security over the green transition. The new RUPTL marks a departure from the previous 2021-2030 RUPTL, which aimed for no new fossil-based capacity additions by 2030. In contrast, the 2025-2034 plan delays the significant ramp-up of renewable energy capacity to the second half of the decade, indicating a slower pace for Indonesia’s energy transition ambitions.

Every five years, Indonesia holds a multi-party general election typically participated in by around 20 political parties. But every time the nation launches a discourse on how best to finance these parties, someone in the room will quickly shout “corruption”, a reflection of the distrust the public has toward them.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has begun deploying personnel to protect all prosecutor's offices nationwide, a move that has sparked widespread debate due to a lack of clear explanation and a solid legal basis presented to the public. Critics suggest this deployment, favoring the military over the police, although not unprecedented, further showcases the TNI’s intention to flex its muscles beyond its defense realm.

President Prabowo Subianto has officially launched the initial production of the Forel and Terubuk oil and gas fields located in the South Natuna Sea Block B, Riau Islands Province. The block is operated by Medco E&P Natuna Ltd., a subsidiary of PT Medco Energi Internasional. This milestone aligns with the government’s drive toward energy self-sufficiency and is further bolstered by signs of renewed interest from global energy giants Chevron Corporation and TotalEnergies, both of whom had previously exited Indonesia due to shifting oil and gas regulations.

The National Police have launched a massive crackdown on preman (thugs), following a series of high-profile cases of violence and extortion linked to them that embarrassed the country in the eyes of foreign investors. While some of those arrested will face prosecution, it is unlikely that the larger organizations behind them will be dissolved as President Prabowo Subianto has ordered.

President Prabowo Subianto has once again turned to loyalists with military backgrounds to fill key leadership roles in the Finance Ministry’s revenue-generating directorates. His decision to appoint an active military general to head the customs office and an alumnus of military-style Taruna Nusantara (Tarnus) high school to lead the tax office has sparked concerns over the erosion of meritocracy and the growing influence of cronyism in public administration.

In his unending quest to find a political party to call home, former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s name has now been thrown into the mix of potential candidates to contest the upcoming race for the chairmanship of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI). The nascent party has no legislative seats, but it has a fair share of power within President Prabowo Subianto’s government.

Indonesia’s economy grew by just 4.87 percent in the first quarter of 2025, its weakest Q1 performance since 2022, despite a seasonal boost in consumer spending during Ramadan and Idul Fitri. The slower-than-expected growth casts early doubts on President Prabowo Subianto’s ambitious economic targets, including achieving 8 percent annual growth by 2029 and reaching high-income status by 2045.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has renewed its long-standing partnership with Indonesia following a high-profile visit by Bill Gates to Jakarta in early May. While the Foundation emphasized its commitment to improving public health and healthcare access in the country, one initiative in particular—trials for a novel tuberculosis (TB) vaccine—has attracted growing public skepticism and concern.

Following its failure to secure seats in the House of Representatives during the 2024 general elections, Indonesia’s oldest Islamic political party, the United Development Party (PPP), is now seeking new leadership in hopes of staging a political comeback. In an unprecedented move, the party is even considering figures outside its traditional Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) roots.

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has made headwinds across the nation after launching a controversial initiative to send delinquent youth to military bootcamps as part of a large-scale re-education effort in the region. Since the announcement of his plan early this month, around 270 “misbehaving” students have been sent to Indonesian Military (TNI) barracks in Bandung and Purwakarta.

The Indonesian government plans to cut off refined fuel imports from Singapore —its largest supplier, which currently accounts for approximately 54 percent of Indonesia’s total refined fuel needs. The move reflects a broader strategic shift in Indonesia’s energy import policy, aiming to cut costs and reposition the country within the evolving landscape of global trade, particularly in relation to the United States. However, concerns remain over whether the plan will truly deliver cost savings, given the higher logistics expenses involved, and whether Indonesia’s infrastructure is ready to support imports from more distant suppliers.

When the government completes rewriting the official national history, scheduled for August, do not expect too much change on topics that are too politically sensitive to be written in a more honest and objective way. The more recent history will likely be much trickier to write, and to read, for that matter, as many of the (bad) actors are still alive.

President Prabowo Subianto’s pledge to phase out Indonesia’s outsourcing system amid a wave of layoffs and rising unemployment has sparked mixed reactions. Announced during the May Day celebrations on May 1, 2025, the proposal was framed as a bold step to improve labor conditions. But critics warn it may prove to be an empty promise driven by political aspirations rather than grounded strategy.

Since taking office in October, President Prabowo Subianto has moved quickly to install key allies, many with military backgrounds, into top posts at state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Their appointments span a wide range of sectors from aviation and logistics to mining, prompting concerns over growing cronyism and the erosion of meritocratic principles in corporate governance of SOEs.

The Constitutional Court has taken another step in defense of freedom of expression from the draconian Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law. The court’s decision offers additional assurance of civil liberties following last year’s legislative amendments aimed at addressing the concerns over digital authoritarianism by the government, which was behind the passing of the legislation in the first place.

Since taking office President Prabowo Subianto has focused on uniting Indonesia’s political landscape by forming a broad coalition called Onward Indonesia, which includes nearly every major party. To secure their support, he has granted key roles in his government to coalition allies, ensuring they share influence. Notably, the Golkar Party, led by Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, received eight cabinet positions, with half of those roles filled by ministers who also served under Prabowo’s predecessor, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

President Prabowo Subianto joined a massive Labor Day rally in Jakarta on May 1, making some promises that went down well with the crowd. However, his appearance seemed to blunt their expressing more radical demands as well as criticisms against businesses and the government.

The World Bank has revised down its forecast for Indonesia’s economic growth in 2025 to 4.7 percent year-on-year (yoy), below the psychologically significant 5 percent threshold, from a previous estimate of 5.1 percent. The bank also downgraded Indonesia’s average growth projection for 2025–2027 to just 4.8 percent, a notable drop from the 5.1 percent average it projected in October 2024 for the 2024–2026 period. This downward revision raises serious questions about the feasibility of the Prabowo Subianto administration’s goal to achieve 8 percent annual GDP growth by the end of his term.

Mass organizations have been identified as an obstacle to the investment climate in the country, as many of them often engage in thuggery, demanding illegal levies in return for security rackets. While some of the groups have proven to violate the law, it looks difficult for the law enforcers to act against them, simply because of their connection to, and hence support from, political elites, if not the military or the police top brass. 

President Prabowo Subianto delivered a closed-door address to 1,500 state-owned enterprise (SOE) leaders at the Danantara Indonesia Town Hall Meeting on Apr. 28, held at the Jakarta Convention Center. The unexpected decision to exclude the press from the event has raised concerns about transparency, particularly given the public role of SOEs in shaping Indonesia’s economic trajectory.

The passing of Pope Francis on April 21 has struck the global community to its core. From the outset of his papacy, Francis made a difference. He was a man of many firsts: the first Jesuit pontiff, the first Latin American pope, and the first pope born outside of Europe since the 8th century. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he chose the Latin name Francis for his pontificate in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century Italian friar who, in his words, was a man of poverty and peace “who loves and protects creation”.

A planned revision of the Financial Sector Development and Strengthening Law (P2SK) by Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) may go beyond its original intent, potentially redrawing the central bank’s mandate in ways that could blur the line between fiscal and monetary policy, as well as reignite concerns about Bank Indonesia’s (BI) independence.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is facing mounting pressure, mostly for underperformance, in the seven months since taking up the job. The latest sign of tension in his relationship with President Prabowo Subianto was when the latter asked former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to represent him at last week’s funeral ceremony of Pope Francis in the Vatican. This is a job normally reserved for the VP. There was no explanation for why Prabowo gave the assignment to Jokowi, Gibran’s father and the country’s president from 2014 to 2024.