El marc polític d'Indonèsia

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: PRABOWO Subianto Djojohadikusumo (since 20 October 2024)
Vice President: GIBRAN Rakabuming Raka (since 20 October 2024)

Next Election Dates

Presidential: 2029
House of Representatives: April 2029

Current Political Context

On February 14, 2024, Indonesia held general elections to choose the country's president, vice president, and the members of the People's Consultative Assembly. As the constitution placed restrictions, incumbent President Joko Widodo could not run for a third term. Defense Minister and retired Army General Prabowo Subianto, along with Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka (the eldest son of outgoing leader Widodo), former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, alongside House Deputy Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar, and former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, alongside Political, Legal, and Security Coordinating Minister Mahfud MD, were the three presidential candidates who ran. Prabowo won a majority of the vote in the first round of the presidential election, negating the need for runoffs. Prabowo's 96.2 million votes were the highest received by any candidate in a democratic election in Indonesia. Nevertheless, Prabowo's Gerindra Party only received 13.2% of the votes in the legislative campaign. Despite losing seats, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) remained the largest party in the House of Representatives, one of eight parties that qualified for the national legislature in the legislative elections. The United Development Party (PPP) lost national parliamentary representation for the first time in its existence after failing to meet the 4% parliamentary threshold, while Golkar secured the most seats.
In light of the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, Indonesia is expected to maintain its non-alignment posture on the outside. Prabowo may have concerns about the West because he was prohibited from entering the country for 20 years before being appointed defence minister in 2019. He may continue to work with Beijing while taking a tough stand on the South China Sea territorial conflicts, though, considering China's substantial economic clout in Indonesia.

Main Political Parties

Single parties have little chance of garnering power alone. Thus, parties often work together to form coalition governments. Primary representation in parliament consists of both nationalist secular parties and moderate and Islamic-oriented groups. The major parties are:
Governing Coalition
- Party of Functional Groups (Golkar): follows conservative liberalism, advocates democratic and liberal values
- Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra): conservatism, nationalism, populism
- National Awakening Party (PKB): Islamist, Pancasila ideology, nationalism
- National Mandate Party (PAN): Islamic democracy, Pancasila ideology
- Democratic Party (PD): centrist, Pancasila ideology

Opposition:
- Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P): centre-left, follows Pancasila’ideology based on the five founding principles of the Constitution; a split-away group from the PD
- NasDem Party: centre-left, nationalism
- Prosperous Justice Party (PKS): Islamist, conservative.

Executive Power

The President is both the head of the State and the head of the Government. The President enjoys the executive power and appoints the cabinet. Both the President and the Vice-President are elected through direct universal suffrage for five-year terms. The President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and responsible for domestic governance and policy-making and foreign affairs.

Legislative Power

The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), made up of the House of People's Representatives (DPR) and the House of Regional Representatives (DPD), is Indonesia's bicameral legislature. The DPD represents regional interests and has 136 members, with four delegates chosen by each province on a non-party basis. In contrast, the DPR, which is the lower house, has 580 members who are elected directly for five-year terms. Although the DPR can overturn this veto with a majority vote, the President has the power to veto laws but cannot dissolve the parliament.

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

World Rank:

113/180

Indicator of Political Freedom

Ranking:

Partly Free

Political Freedom:

2/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House