The sudden and acute disruption to Middle East oil supplies caused by the US-Israeli war with Iran is forcing buyers to tap every available barrel, rapidly dismantling forecasts of an oil glut this year.

Reforming fossil fuel subsidies is no longer just an environmental or efficiency goal; it is a matter of fiscal survival of the country. 

Country-led action on water, guided by a common vision and supported by a more aligned UN system, can demonstrate that multilateralism is capable of reform and results.

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

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

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.

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As Middle East conflicts drive global price volatility, Indonesia must replace its outdated, "one-size-fits-all" LPG subsidy with a targeted direct-transfer system to protect both the poor and the state budget.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Iran may be indefensible, but that does not make an illegal war against it justifiable. By remaining silent, Indonesia is not choosing neutrality; it is choosing to abandon its founding principles in the face of raw coercion.

By the time the bombs started falling, the decisive choices had already been made during years of strategic deliberation.

In an era of intensifying great-power rivalry and economic decoupling, Indonesia must move beyond passive non-alignment toward a doctrine of disciplined strategic autonomy. By integrating balance-of-power logic with sophisticated economic statecraft, Jakarta can transform global uncertainty into a source of national leverage.

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.