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View all search resultsAnalysis: Prabowo moves from sharing to consolidating power
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President Prabowo Subianto, accompanied by Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto, stands on a military vehicle on Sunday while inspecting the troops during the 80th TNI anniversary celebration at the National Monument (Monas) complex in Jakarta. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto spent much of the first year since his October 2024 inauguration trying to fulfill his campaign promises, but he has also been quietly consolidating power over his political detractors, with a little help from his Army friends.
When he took office 12 months ago, he shared power by setting up the country's largest and most diverse coalition government that includes just about everyone who matters in national politics.
Winning the 2024 election with a convincing majority, he has shared the spoils with not only those who helped his campaign but also the losers. Prabowo has parceled out strategic positions in the government, including posts in state-owned companies, to buy their support, if not loyalty. He has even expanded the size of the cabinet to over 100 ministers and deputy ministers to accommodate this strategy, breaking the maximum limit of 40 previously prescribed by law.
His administration could be almost called a national unity government if the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) had not turned down his offer to join. While it is the only one out of the eight political parties in the House of Representatives that is not part of the coalition government, but PDI-P has hardly played the role of an effective opposition.
Prabowo's coalition government comprises the seven other political parties including his own Gerindra Party, as well as special interest groups representing businesses, Islamic organizations and the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri). Although the latter two are constitutionally answerable to the president, they are powerful institutions whose interests no leader can ignore. One notable absence is labor unions, but they are weak and ineffective and thought to be of little strategic value.
Prabowo has pretty much gotten what he wanted in the last 12 months, including his legislative agenda, with the parties in his coalition controlling over 80 percent of House seats.
While he faces no real challenges from political institutions, criticism has come from less organized movements such as youths and students, who have turned to social media to air their grievances through popular memes and hashtags like #IndonesiaGelap (Dark Indonesia) and #KaburAjaDulu (Leave first). Many people displayed the Straw Hat Pirates flag from manga One Piece, symbolizing Gen Z defiance, in place of or next to the national flag during Indonesia's 80th independence anniversary.
