President Prabowo Subianto visited France earlier this week to attend France’s national celebration of Bastille Day. As part of the ceremony, the French government also invited the Indonesian Military (TNI) to participate in the military parade. It follows an official invitation extended by French President Emmanuel Macron during his recent state visit to Jakarta on May 28, where both Jakarta and Paris signed Letters of Intent (LoIs), indicating the potential procurement of additional Rafale fighters, light fighters, Scorpene Evolved submarines and CAESAR self-propelled howitzers from the latter.

The frequent engagement between Jakarta and Paris shows that the latter is one of Indonesia’s main strategic partners, especially in supporting modernization efforts of the TNI and the development of the national defense industry. In fact, during Prabowo’s tenure as defense minister (2019-2024), he made no fewer than seven official visits to France, making it one of the countries he engaged the most.

Indeed, the evolution of Indonesia and France’s bilateral relations shows an intensifying trend since Prabowo’s took office. Notably, in 2021, Prabowo and then-French defense minister, Florence Parly, signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), aiming to expand the scope of the Indonesia-France defense partnership.

The growing role of France, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council just like the United States and China, as Indonesia’s strategic partner can be understood from three aspects.

First, amid rising regional and global instability, the need for strategic autonomy has become increasingly urgent. Notable examples include Russia’s war in Ukraine, escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, continued violence in Gaza and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Not to mention the shift in US policy, marked by the country’s retreat from international commitments and economic pressure policies, such as sanctions and tariffs.

In this case, Indonesia must be able to enhance its independence and long-term resilience, which can be achieved through partnerships with major powers like France.