Until Indonesia bridges the gap between policy rhetoric and cultural reality, we will remain a nation of great ideas but few breakthroughs.

As it marks its second year of full membership in 2026, Indonesia is likely to continue making cooperative contributions within the BRICS foundational principles of equality, openness and mutual respect.

The Financial Services Authority (OJK) has urged banks classified in core capital bank group (KBMI) 1, or banks with up to Rp 6 trillion (US$355 million) in capital, to strengthen their capital position or consolidate with other banks, as part of its longer-term aim to eliminate the KBMI 1 classification altogether. The policy aims to enhance banks’ capacity, performance and service quality and enable them to scale up while maintaining operational security and efficiency.

We must move away from the narrow perception of the energy transition as simply a move away from fossil fuels to renewables and instead embrace its broader, transformative aim of powering sustainable economic and social development through the delivery of secure and affordable energy for all.

Two recent air and land transport incidents have again pointed out that, regardless of the vast improvements over the past decade, safety requires continuous, consistent maintenance nationwide.

Youth education that aims to build digital financial capability must be an integral part of national strategic policies on economic resilience.

KUR must shift toward productivity-based targeting rather than merely maximizing borrower numbers.

The arms game among Western countries is turning increasingly toward cheaper alternatives from manufacturers in Asia, where indigenization is trending amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

While Purbaya's strategy of optimistic communication is rooted in macroeconomic theory, it would do well to remember that self-fulfilling prophecies can go either way.

Surveys by credible pollsters indicate that the push to change the election system does not reflect the aspirations of the people, but rather those of political elites who lack popular roots. 

The government recently announced what appeared to be encouraging news for the country’s rice sector: the introduction of a single-price policy for medium-grade rice to be implemented nationwide this year, after he hailed the achievement of self-sufficiency in rice production. While politically attractive, the promise of a uniform rice price across the archipelago warrants closer scrutiny, particularly over whether the price stabilization policy can be sustained without continued reliance on imports or a risk of added fiscal costs.

Long-term public trust in financial stability and in monetary policy can only be vested in institutions, not in individuals, who come and go.

People were creating cave art in Indonesia 67,800 years ago, before modern humans reached Australia.

Publicly bombarding women with these images exerts control over how they present themselves online.

The academic publishing system often allows scientific errors to persist because it prioritizes profit and prestige over timely correction.

Without a dramatic improvement in basic living conditions, the International Stabilization Force will not be able to deliver stability for desperate people in Gaza.

Absence of clarity on the boundary in question raises legitimate questions about the government’s political will and institutional urgency.

Having abundant nickel helps with one component—the battery cathode—but it does not automatically confer the ability to mass-produce quality electric vehicles.

Without discipline, diversification can produce an expensive “rolling museum” with low flying hours, low availability, and a posture that never reaches peak combat effectiveness.

Under Prabowo, the military is no longer positioned chiefly as a protector of the people; it has been transformed into an active economic actor within the agrarian sector.

President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated Pertamina’s Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) Balikpapan megaproject on Jan. 12, marking the completion of a long-delayed strategic oil refinery upgrade. The project, with an investment value of US$7.4 billion (Rp 123 trillion), is expected to raise production capacity to 360,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 260,000 bpd and enable Indonesia to stop importing diesel fuel as early as the second quarter of this year.

Democracy in Indonesia has been on the retreat in the last 10 years or so, freedom of speech and other types of freedoms are being undermined, and activists and civil society groups warn of a shrinking civic space.

The 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, convened in Hanoi on January 19, marked a significant strategic pivot regarding the country's development. By formalizing the concept of an "Era of National Rise," the Congress signaled a decisive transition from a period of historical accumulation to a new phase driven by critical structural breakthroughs.

While public support for clean energy is strong in principle, it weakens quickly when new infrastructure appears close to home. 

As the number of crypto investors and transactions continues to grow rapidly, Indonesia must move equally swiftly to implement the OECD's CARF to ensure a safe domestic ecosystem founded on transparency.

When unemployment declines and employment rises, labor market conditions are commonly perceived as improving. This interpretation is not incorrect, but it remains incomplete.

As the initiator of the Bali Democracy Forum and the 2026 president of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Jakarta should continue to champion the protection of rights and democratic principles.