The failure to settle the BLBI scandal beyond doubt shows that the state has opted for accommodation over confrontation, appearing more fearful of unsetting entrenched economic elites than of losing public funds.

The President's recent instruction to formulate a bill to combat disinformation and "foreign propaganda" walks a fine line between the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression and ratified international agreements stipulating the standards that must be met before basic rights can be legislatively curtailed.

The House of Representatives decision to select Thomas “Tommy” Djiwandono as a deputy governor of Bank Indonesia (BI) has reignited long-standing concerns over the central bank’s independence. His background as nephew of President Prabowo Subianto and a senior Gerindra Party official has contributed to negative market sentiment. While Tommy ensured the market that he would maintain BI’s independence, the controversy surrounding his nomination and swift confirmation risks undermining the central bank’s credibility and could adversely affect macroeconomic stability.

The Indonesian Air Force has already demonstrated a unique capability to bridge these technological divides in real-world scenarios. 

The Indonesian labor market is characterized by the job hugging phenomenon, in which employees stay in their current positions for career stability, or job security, even if they may not be satisfied.

As history has shown with regard to past Olympic boycotts, a similar move against this year's World Cup will be an equally futile, symbolic maneuver that achieves nothing more than moral signaling and spectacle, in addition to harming sport’s potentials as a soft power.

The Washington Post article quoting a US diplomat in Dhaka invites closer scrutiny as a civic duty, not as regards the content of the reported statements but rather the timing and purposeo f the allegedly leaked recordings.

Trying to prepare people for a fixed set of challenges, when those challenges are constantly changing, is a losing strategy.

The long era of the liberal international order seems to be fading, replaced by a new and colder reality that could be best described as pragmatic transactional realism. 

As part of the wider national food security agenda, protein self-sufficiency requires a circular agriculture approach that integrates cereal production and pastureland planning and management for livestock feed, which is still highly dependent on imports.

An Indonesian political standup-comedy show currently streaming on Netflix has become one of the top trending topics on social media these past few weeks, some calling the content inappropriate while others welcoming it as a fresh take on current affairs. And now police are stepping in following formal reports for defamation, incitement and blasphemy.

In the Central Java regency of Pati, the target in the uprising, one who had incurred the wrath of so many in the impoverished region was Regent Sudewo, a politician from President Prabowo Subianto’s Gerindra Party. 

As non-bloc, nonaligned nations with a firm belief in multipolarity, the India-Indonesia partnership is more than a bilateral benefit; it is a balancing force for global good. 

Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN in October 2025 stands as a heartening example of the power of partnership in challenging times.

Without coherent multilateral standards, well-intentioned environmental rules risk becoming de facto trade barriers that favor those with the deepest pockets for administrative costs.

Today, Indonesia again occupies a position where its voice can shift the conversation, especially among states that feel trapped between great-power rivalry. 

Do we even talk about the same Indonesia? Do we live in the same universe as Prabowo?

In terms of organizational structures, functions and role, status, and rules and procedure, the BoP resembles more like a privately-owned family company than an intergovernmental organization.

The new year marked a start to a journey for two new political parties, which have both set their sights on contesting the 2029 legislative and presidential elections. From the outset, the National Resonance Party (PGB) and the People’s Movement Party (PGR) have associated their identities with national figures widely seen as potential contenders in the 2029 presidential race. This emphasis on personal endorsement signals a shifting pattern in Indonesian politics, raising questions about whether parties are moving away from their foundational role as institutions for political education and cadre development.

Prabowo's audience at home does not fully agree with him. They are deeply pessimistic about the council created by Trump.

It is difficult to understand why Indonesia, which has persistently supported Palestinian independence, is willing to engage in a peace initiative led by an administration whose approach to Gaza and the broader Palestinian question raises serious normative and political concerns.

The government spends a lot on free nutritious meals to fight stunting in children, but is not willing to guarantee a living wage for the volunteers who prevent it.

The recent ban on elephant rides highlights the critical need for consensual deliberation in managing a balance between the various dimensions of contemporary conservation, including animal, community and environmental welfare.

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.