Indonesia’s recent row with neighboring countries over transboundary haze caused by local fires is fueling concerns that the government is wielding nationalist sentiment to deflect criticism of its response to the crisis.

The antigraft body issued a new warrant in October for an investigation into alleged irregularities and bribery pertaining to cigarette excise, with the commission’s spokesperson saying investigators may summon related parties for questioning as the probe goes.

Students and civil society groups across Indonesia took to the streets once again on Wednesday to demand the government’s accountability over the persistent forest and peatland fires, while decrying what they say is a shrinking civic space under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

Worsened by the El Niño weather pattern that leaves peatland vulnerable to fires, Indonesia has been faced with its worst forest fires and resulting haze in 11 years, increasing respiratory illnesses and polluting the air of neighbouring countries Malaysia and Singapore.

The House of Representatives presses ahead with the asset forfeiture bill during recess, as it seeks to pass the long-delayed bill into law by mid-December amid growing public pressure and concerns of transparency in its process.

The government is reviewing possible revisions to the anticorruption law to improve legal certainty and the investment climate, with possible changes focusing on clarifying the definition of state financial losses and specifying corruption offences.

The government missed the deadline to form a committee that will vet new election organizers and supervisors, raising concerns over compliance with the law and the transparency of the selection process.

The Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) seizure of hundreds of millions of rupiah linked to property developer Summarecon and gang leader Rosario “Hercules” de Marshal has renewed concerns over mass organizations’ role in land disputes and the corruption risks posed by informal power networks.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) seeks discussions with other political parties in the House of Representatives on the appropriate follow-up to address Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s legitimacy as Vice President, following a court ruling that raised questions over his educational qualifications.

An annual international index on countries’ adherence to the rule of law found Indonesia scoring lower this year compared to 2025, with the country scoring lowest in criminal justice, absence of corruption and fundamental rights.

A proposal to narrow the legal definition of corruption has prompted concerns of weakening anticorruption campaigns.

The country saw its last executions in 2016 of four drug trafficking convicts. While Indonesia has maintained a hiatus on new executions, the death penalty remains legal, although the new KUHP, which took effect in January, marks a shift in the legal framework by classifying it as a “special punishment” to be imposed only as a last resort.

Until now, Prabowo — who marks two years in office this week — has faced little or no pushback. There have been no dissenting votes on any bills the government has proposed, not even by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), one party that is not formally part of the ruling bloc.

Indonesian netizens have been reporting of having their content about widespread forest and peatland fires on several social media platforms getting shadow banned or taken down in the past week.

The Presidential Advisory Board (Wantimpres) is facing a legal challenge at the Constitutional Court over its unlimited number of members, with a petitioner arguing that President Prabowo Subianto’s recent appointment of 26 advisers risks burdening the state budget.

While telling his cabinet members of his pride of leading them and the country, President Prabowo Subianto highlighted the importance of having ordinary people that can work together, rather than brilliant ones who cannot cooperate.

The presence of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in civilian affairs under President Prabowo Subianto has become even more widespread during his second year in office, with activists warning that the increasing trend of militarization further erodes human rights.

Questions have been raised over Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid’s failure to answer two summonses from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), with calls growing for investigators to bring him in for questioning upon his return from Malaysia.

Demonstrations took place in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bandung in West Java, with protesters criticizing government policies they said had failed to address pressing public concerns during Prabowo’s two years in office.

After a busy first year of raising its international profile, questions remain over how the Prabowo administration intends to translate its efforts into a coherent foreign policy strategy.

The government has increasingly turned to shielding itself from public demonstrations and allegedly resorting to digital censorship to curb critical voices, as the Prabowo Subianto administration enters its third year with growing public discontent over policymaking.

Discontent among ordinary Indonesians appears to be growing after two years of the Prabowo presidency, which has maintained, if not expanded, the loyalist camp through serial reshuffling at the cost of governance and tangible policy outcomes addressing real concerns.

President Prabowo Subianto’s approval rating has fallen below 50 percent for the first time since he took office in October 2024, as public discontent over economic conditions, politics and law enforcement under his administration continues to grow.

Indonesia faces mounting criticism over its handling of the haze crisis and spreading wildfires, with the government allegedly silencing public scrutiny and downplaying the scale of the blazes, as neighboring countries speak out against Jakarta’s muted gestures toward accepting firefighting assistance.

Jane Rosalina of Kontras said the Constitutional Court's ruling had broken through the wall of military impunity and offered an opportunity for the government, lawmakers and the Supreme Court to accelerate military justice reform. 

Public satisfaction has fallen sharply since Prabowo won the presidential election in February 2024, when 74 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with the state of democracy. By March 2026, the figure had dropped to 62 percent, before falling further below 40 percent in the latest survey.

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla has said in his public lecture in Illinois, United States that holding public office requires leadership skills and competence rather than just relying on popularity, as he highlighted challenges to decentralization and democracy that Indonesia is facing.