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Expanding the Foreign Ministry as Jokowi had in mind four years ago
Since he came to power in 2014, Jokowi has repeatedly asked Indonesian diplomats to bring home more investment and export deals for the country's products.
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New appointees to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s Cabinet attend their inauguration at the State Palace in Jakarta on July 17. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A)
Kornelius Purba
The recent appointment of senior banker Pahala N. Mansyuri as deputy foreign minister reminds me of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ambition to enlarge and empower the Foreign Ministry by entrusting it with major foreign trade responsibilities as well. Just a year before completing his second and final five-year term in October 2024, the President has a good opportunity to realize his economic diplomacy obsession, which is unlikely to face public resistance.
However, I cannot understand why the President left the number two position in the foreign office vacant for one year if he is really seeking to accelerate his economic diplomacy target. Last year, Jokowi picked then-deputy foreign minister Mahendra Siregar as a candidate for the Financial Services Authority (OJK) commissioner post. The House of Representatives then appointed the career diplomat and trained economist as the head of the powerful body in July 2022.
Mahendra deserved the new position because he had previously served as the deputy finance minister, deputy trade minister and head of the Investment Coordinating Agency (BKPM). He was the first career diplomat to secure prestigious positions outside the foreign service. He also came close to becoming Jokowi's chief diplomat four years ago.
