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Indonesia

Indonesia’s Presidential Election: The Old Guard Faces the New

As President Joko Widodo’s presidential tenure comes to an end, Indonesia’s democratic future is at an inflection point. 

<p>Indonesia&#8217;s Defence Minister and presidential candidate, Prabowo Subianto, speaks during a televised debate with his opponents Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, at the Istora Senayan stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on January 7, 2024.</p>
Indonesia’s Defence Minister and presidential candidate, Prabowo Subianto, speaks during a televised debate with his opponents Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, at the Istora Senayan stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on January 7, 2024. Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters

By experts and staff

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Indonesia’s presidential election, scheduled for February 14, pits a veteran politician against several younger faces, marking a turning point in Southeast Asia’s most powerful state. The outcome will likely determine how Indonesia handles its delicate relations with China and the United States, the growing prominence of conservative Islam, and the future of democracy itself in a country that already has seen rights and freedoms eroded under current President Joko Widodo.

For more on the upcoming election and its implications, see my new CFR In Brief.

This publication is part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.