A foreign policy president, really?
President Prabowo Subianto was marketed as a bold foreign policy visionary, but his record reveals an administration driven by reactive damage control rather than strategic global leadership.
President Prabowo Subianto's foreign policy debut has been marked by reactive damage control rather than strategic global leadership. During his joint legislative address on August 14, he acknowledged the world's geopolitical conflicts, trade wars, and ongoing wars in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, but failed to mention key issues like ASEAN agendas, Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, or the plight of Pertamina tankers.
His foreign policy speech consisted of a domestic resilience argument wrapped in geopolitical rhetoric, leaving diplomats unimpressed and disappointed. Prabowo's presidency was marketed as a bold foreign policy visionary, but his record reveals a different reality. Former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and others labeled him as a foreign policy president, but his actions have yet to live up to that expectation.
Just 21 months into his term, questions arise about whether Indonesia is becoming more assertive in its foreign policy, both bilaterally and multilaterally.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
