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View all search resultsPrabowo’s frequent foreign trips raise priority concerns
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President Prabowo Subianto arrives on May 7, 2026, ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Cebu, the Philippines. (Reuters/Pool/Jacqueline Hernandez)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto's increasingly active foreign diplomacy is drawing growing scrutiny, with critics questioning the transparency, urgency and tangible benefits of his frequent overseas engagements as Indonesia grapples with economic headwinds and a range of domestic challenges.
Ahead of the Idul Adha holiday last week, Prabowo traveled to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on strengthening cooperation in areas such as defense, energy and education, and also attended the Idul Adha celebrations with members of the Indonesian diaspora.
The trip marked Prabowo's fourth visit to France since taking office in October 2024 and added to a busy international schedule that has seen him visit at least 29 countries in more than 50 overseas engagements.
The pace of those visits has fueled questions about the administration’s priorities, particularly as the government grapples with a weakening rupiah amid global dollar strength, regulatory uncertainty and other pressing domestic challenges.
The latest trip has also renewed criticism over the government's communication strategy, with opposition figures and foreign policy observers arguing that the objectives and expected outcomes of many presidential visits have not been clearly conveyed to the public.
Read also: Defense, trade top agenda in Prabowo-Macron talks
Andreas Hugo Pareira of the quasi-opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the government should have provided clearer explanations regarding the purpose and targets of presidential visits abroad.
