TheJakartaPost
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Events in Brussels may seem a distant matter in Jakarta sometimes, but there will be many in Indonesia who will be following carefully the consequences of the recent European Parliament (EP) elections. That vote may have a bigger impact on trade and economic relations between the two powers than may be obvious at first sight. The parliament has long been considered a bit of a joke in Europe’s political centers of Berlin, Paris and London. It used to be a place where has-been politicians sought to enjoy quiet retirement.I began my career as a parliamentary aide, frequently lost in the corridors of its two parliaments in Brussels and Strasbourg. But the EP has undergone a profound transformation in the past 25 years. Once it was an assembly dominated by two blocs — the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats. Their hold on votes across the chamber was significant. Their collective...
