However, the international role also suggests she will no longer lead Indonesian diplomacy when president-elect Prabowo Subianto takes over from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Oct. 20. This was also the case for Retno’s predecessor Marty Natalegawa, who assumed several UN posts, including a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation, after completing his five-year service in 2014.

Speculation has unsurprisingly arisen as to who Prabowo will appoint as his chief diplomat. The public and diplomatic community alike are specifically curious as to whether Prabowo will choose a career diplomat or an outsider as his foreign minister.

Indonesian presidents have tended to pick a career diplomat for the foreign minister post, which is natural. Retno, who has long served as President Jokowi’s chief diplomat, is a career diplomat, so were Marty and his predecessor Hassan Wirajuda.

Jokowi has entrusted Retno with running the country’s day-to-day diplomatic affairs and seems to have been satisfied with her performance.

In the last 10 years, despite Jokowi’s lack of interest in international issues, thanks to Retno, Indonesia has made major diplomatic breakthroughs, including the success in hosting the Group of 20 Summit in Bali in 2022 and ASEAN Summit in 2023. Indonesia has also consistently defended Palestine in international forums and maintained a fine balance when dealing with major powers amid their rivalry.

Prabowo wants a different type of diplomacy because he is poised to maximize Indonesia’s standing as a key middle power. Indonesia’s diplomacy will no longer focus on economic gains but will expand to defense and security affairs. Therefore, Prabowo will need a foreign minister who knows him very well and has vast international networking.

Unlike Jokowi, Prabowo will be a foreign policy president, which he has shown in a series of overseas trips following his electoral win.

As president, Prabowo has the prerogative to choose his Cabinet members, including his foreign minister. He must be knowledgeable about the requirements to lead the Foreign Ministry, which are more complex than other posts, involving a deep knowledge of diplomacy and personal character.

Whatever the background of the new chief diplomat, he or she must have the capacity to manage the internal affairs of the ministry, so as to avoid unnecessary resistance from within.

In selecting his ministers, Prabowo will have to accommodate the aspirations and interests of his coalition members, therefore a combination of technocrats and politicians will be the best option.

Several names have been touted to fill the shoes of Retno, ranging from career diplomats to politicians. As Prabowo has made it clear he will be hands-on in foreign policy activities, he needs a minister who knows very well his vision and ambition and has a strong capacity to deal with regional and global affairs.

A wrong decision will be devastating for Indonesia’s foreign policy-making. Although a career diplomat has often been the choice to lead the Foreign Ministry, the appointment of an outsider has not always ended badly.

Mochtar Kusumaatmadja, a professor of law, served as foreign minister for two terms from 1978 to 1988. During his tenure, he introduced the “archipelagic state” concept to describe Indonesia. The concept was later recognized by the UN through the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982.

It is safe to say that Prabowo should be extra cautious in selecting his foreign minister. It does not matter whether the candidate comes from inside the Foreign Ministry or a political party, as long as Prabowo sets very clear criteria for the position.

Retno has done her best for the country, and now Indonesia awaits a new era where Prabowo is expected to bring the country to a higher level. May the best person lead the country’s diplomatic corps.