With the succession of national leadership fast approaching, the realization of president-elect Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals program is facing an arduous challenge. Due to budget constraints, several adjustments will have to be made to the original plan, which may compromise the program’s intended purpose.

Outgoing President Joko ‘’Jokowi’’ Widodo has yet to sign a presidential decree that will effectively relocate Indonesia’s capital city to Nusantara, East Kalimantan. The Nusantara project may face a serious impediment as president-elect Prabowo Subianto will focus on his own priority programs, although on various occasions he has demonstrated a willingness to carry on the new capital city development.

The campaign period for the Jakarta gubernatorial election kicked off this week, but conspicuously missing from the race is former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, who all surveys say is the most popular figure for the job. The man who held the job in 2017-2022 is being kept out because no political parties chose him for their ticket. And when three political parties that had earlier endorsed his candidacy pulled out at the last minute, it was too late for him to register as an independent.

Less than a month before his second and final term comes to an end, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurated two of the world’s biggest copper and gold smelters on Sept. 23, essentially sealing his legacy in expanding the country’s mineral downstream industry, which has created rifts with major economic powers.

All eyes are still on Kaesang Pangarep, the youngest son of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who became embroiled in a controversy over his use of a private jet for a recent trip to the United States. The controversy has only increased since Kaesang provided clarification over the matter to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Sept. 17.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) must soon decide whether it is joining the incoming government of Prabowo Subianto, whose inauguration as the country’s eighth president next month is approaching fast.

Following a 20-year ban, the government has officially lifted the restriction on exports of sea sand, prompting protests from some quarters, including a former minister and environmental activists. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo himself clarified that the new export permits are intended for sedimentation sand that is blocking shipping lanes, not from the seabed itself.

Prabowo Subianto’s inauguration as the eighth president of Indonesia is scheduled to take place on Oct. 20, when he is also slated to introduce his cabinet. Given that the president-elect has been building a big-tent coalition government, the topmost question is whether he plans to distribute cabinet posts to reward his political allies or appoint technocrats to lead ministries during his rule.

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) is currently embroiled in a leadership dispute, with two figures—Anindya Novan Bakrie and Arsjad Rasjid—each claiming the position of chair. The victory of the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka presidential ticket is alleged to have fueled efforts to unseat the incumbent chair, Arsjad Rasjid, who was the campaign manager of a losing presidential candidate.

The House of Representatives has passed a revision of the Presidential Advisory Council Law, which will allow president-elect Prabowo Subianto to reward those who contributed to his electoral win with seats on the council.

As the House of Representatives ends its term, its special committee is out to conclude an investigation into alleged haj quota misallocation involving the Religious Affairs Ministry. Considering that such misallocation appears to happen almost every year and go unresolved, the House’s all-out efforts to uncover the irregularities this time around may be fraught with political motives.

The government has merged the country’s two state-owned airport operators into one, PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, in a bid to improve efficiency, and eventually cut logistics costs in the country, while at the same time improving profitability. After the merger the new entity is now called InJourney Airports, part of giant state-owned aviation and tourism holding company PT Aviasi Pariwisata Indonesia (InJourney).

After days of back and forth, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has dropped plans to question President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s youngest son Kaesang Pangarep to clarify the details regarding his lavish private jet trip to the United States, despite mounting public pressure to investigate. This decision further shows the KPK’s lack of seriousness and efforts to combat corruption without discrimination.

A rushed law revision might allow Prabowo Subianto to build a big-tent coalition government after he is inaugurated on Oct. 20 as Indonesia’s eighth president, but the bigger question is if he has the skill and acumen to manage the diverse political parties and pressure groups he is bringing into the fold.

The government’s plan to differentiate the pricings of Commuter Line (KRL) tickets based on commuters’ identity card numbers (NIK) has sparked widespread public outcry. The new fare plan, aimed at providing subsidized ticket fares only to those eligible, would result in a fare increase for the middle class, who are in an increasingly precarious position.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) sprang a surprise in the final hours of candidate registration for the Jakarta gubernatorial election, choosing Pramono Anung over heavy favorites Anies Baswedan and Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. The move is seen as opening space for reconciliation between PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and President Joko ''Jokowi'' Widodo.

The discourse on limiting the use of subsidized fuel brands Pertalite gasoline and Solar diesel has been a long-running debate under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration. This time the government plans the limitation of Pertalite to take place on Oct. 1, 2024.  President Jokowi’s stance has been indecisive regarding this matter, confusing the public once again.

Anies Baswedan, the former Jakarta governor and candidate in the last recent presidential election, finds himself at a critical crossroads in his political career after failing to secure a nomination for the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial race. With his ambitions momentarily stymied, speculation is rife about his next move. Anies has said he is considering forming a new political party to maintain his relevance until the 2029 presidential election.

President-elect Prabowo Subianto intends to divide the Public Development and Housing (PUPR) Ministry into two separate entities: one focused exclusively on housing, and the other on infrastructure development, effectively undoing the 2014 merger that created the PUPR Ministry. This decision underscores the new administration's shift in priorities, placing greater emphasis on the housing sector, with an ambitious target to construct 15 million homes by the end of Prabowo's term.

The two men have agreed to dispense with the need for a transitional team.

Nine out of 76 candidates in the running to become Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) members for the 2024 – 2029 period are politicians from political parties in the Onward Indonesia Coalition Plus (KIM Plus) supporting president-elect Prabowo Subianto. The final decision on the new BPK members will be made later in September and will be sealed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, whose term will end in less than two months.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo suffered his first major political defeat, just two months before he steps down, when a popular revolt denied him the chance to field his youngest son to run in the November polls to elect the leaders of regional governments.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo presented the draft state budget (RAPBN) for the 2025 fiscal year to the House of Representatives on Aug. 16, one of his last acts as president before giving the reins to the incoming administration under president-elect Prabowo Subianto. The RAPBN highlights the government’s focus on improving human capital.

A landmark decision by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday has removed the legislative threshold for political parties or electoral alliances to nominate candidates in the regional head elections in November. The ruling is seen as a game changer, particularly for former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, whose path to the polls appeared to narrow after the majority of parties rallied behind Ridwan Kamil.

President-elect Prabowo Subianto has reaffirmed his promise to continue the development of the planned new capital Nusantara once he takes office. In an effort to dispel investors’ concerns about Nusantara's future, Prabowo has said he is an investor in the capital city project.

Golkar Party chairman Airlangga Hartarto sent shockwaves through Indonesia’s political landscape when he abruptly stepped down from his position as the leader of the country’s second-largest party. While Airlangga claimed his decision was to ensure a “stable transition” between the current administration and the next, others have speculated that it was due to an underhanded maneuver by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has been trying to facilitate a smooth transition of power for his successor Prabowo Subianto by various means, but accommodating Prabowo’s signature programs in the 2025 budget has proven to be the most challenging considering the narrowing fiscal space and economic deceleration.

With over two months still to go until his inauguration in October, president-elect Prabowo Subianto has nonetheless established good rapport with President Vladimir Putin, setting the tone for Indonesia-Russia bilateral ties during his Moscow visit early this month. During their meeting, Prabowo described Russia as a “great friend” and discussed the possibility of various cooperations.

To prove his commitment to the development of Nusantara Capital City, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo insisted on working there, despite the ongoing construction and less than ready state for habitation. Regardless of the questions about the motive behind the decision. Jokowi is simply sending a message, especially to the incoming government, that the show must go on.

The rivalry between National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Muhaimin Iskandar and the ruling Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) brothers Yahya Cholil Staquf and Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has taken a new turn as they use the organizations to undermine each other.