What SBY and Jokowi can teach Prabowo about regaining public trust
History proves political recovery is entirely possible. SBY and Jokowi successfully restored their approval ratings above 50 percent. Not only did they improve their numbers, both went on win re-election.
Former Indonesian presidents SBY and Jokowi have shown that it is entirely possible to regain public trust, according to recent history. Following a detailed analysis of their approval ratings, it is evident that both leaders successfully restored their popularity, with both exceeding the 50 percent mark and ultimately going on to win re-election.
The latest data reveals that President Prabowo Subianto's approval rating currently sits around 40 percent, according to empo Data Science's survey in August. However, SMRC's phone survey from July places his approval rating at 51.1 percent. Despite the methodological differences between the pollsters, the overall trend is clear: Prabowo's approval rating has significantly dropped since peaking at 80 percent in January 2025.
The decline is primarily attributed to growing public dissatisfaction with the economy, politics, and law enforcement.
Remarkably, falling under the 50-percent psychological threshold is an exceptionally rare occurrence for an Indonesian president. Lembaga Survei Indonesia's (LSI) data shows that presidential approval ratings have only dropped below 50 percent twice since 2004 – once during Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's (SBY) tenure in June 2008 and again under Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in June 2015.
The decline in approval ratings for both SBY and Jokowi can be traced back to rising global oil prices, which led to the slashing of fuel subsidies. This resulted in soaring everyday costs, and ultimately, a significant drop in their approval ratings. Both leaders faced similar economic challenges during their tenures, such as falling global commodity prices and economic turbulence. SBY dealt with the aftermath of the US financial crisis, while Jokowi navigated China's economic deceleration.
Currently, Prabowo's declining approval rate is also influenced by the global economic and geopolitical situation, particularly the impact of Trump tariffs and the Middle East conflict. This has forced the Prabowo administration to raise non-subsidized fuel prices, exacerbating public dissatisfaction. As the Indonesian public predominantly judges presidential performance with leniency, falling below the 50-percent mark remains a rare setback in the history of Indonesian presidents.
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.
