ph6 Asia, Middle East and Europe: Prabowo’s recent globetrotting shows he will drive foreign policy as next president

JAKARTA: In the lead-up to this week’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New Yorkph6, speculation was rife in Indonesia that the country’s delegation would be led by President-elect Prabowo Subianto.

After all, since winning the election in February, the current Indonesian defence minister has been a prolific international traveller, visiting 20 countries and engaging global leaders from all corners of the world. 

Analysts say that these high-profile visits underscore his desire to be actively involved in foreign affairs once he is sworn into office on Oct 20, even though it emerged this week that Mr Prabowo will not be attending the UNGA after all.  

Instead, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi will represent Southeast Asia’s largest economy  in the Sep 28 morning session of the 79th UNGA's high-level general debate, which runs from Sep 24 to Sep 30.

This is not a surprise as incumbent president Joko Widodo has often entrusted foreign diplomacy issues to Mdm Retno.

Mr Widodo was perceived to prefer to focus on domestic affairs, though he fronted selective diplomatic initiatives, such as on Myanmar during Indonesia's chairmanship of the Asean regional grouping. 

Analysts told CNA that this would likely be different once Mr Prabowo takes over.

The 72-year-old wants Indonesia to be more active on the international stage, to be more respected by other countries and to show that it is independent from foreign interference, said Associate Professor Dinna Prapto Raharja, executive director of Jakarta-based think tank Synergy Policies, which focuses on political, social and economic sciences.

“Mr Prabowo wants to put forward his vision, and he is very firm in showing that he controls the (country’s) foreign policy,” she added. 

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During Mr Widodo’s presidency, Indonesia was the rotating president of the Group of 20 (G20) in 2022 and the chairman of ASEAN in 2023. He was also the first Asian leader to visit Ukraine and Russia since the war broke out in Feb 2022. 

However, he has never attended the yearly UNGA.

Mr Widodo, who is popularly known as Jokowi, assigned then-vice president Jusuf Kalla to attend the UNGA in his first term, while Mdm Retno has been Indonesia’s representative for the past five years. 

His non-attendance at the UNGA has often been cited by analysts as a clear indicator that the president is not so interested in foreign affairs. 

“He has never given any statements about this (his non-attendance). But maybe he (Jokowi) feels more inclined to be at home ... to see how his programmes are working (domestically),” said Associate Professor Teuku Rezasyah from Bandung’s Padjadjaran University.

Since assuming office in 2014, Jokowi has spent most of his time on domestic travel. The archipelago is vast -  the distance from west to east is equal to that between London and Baghdad  - and he is often in two provinces daily. 

Prof Angel Damayanti from Jakarta’s Christian University of Indonesia (UKI) said that retired general Prabowo has a different personality and background from Jokowi, a local businessman who came from humble roots.

“Mr Prabowo is easygoing, likes to have many friends, and has lived abroad for quite a time,” said Prof Angel, who specialises in international security and relations.  

“As a military personnel, he was used to working with the military from other countries, so he is more confident (than Jokowi), and he has that capability (to work with others).” 

Mr Prabowo’s father, Mr Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was an economist and politician but lived abroad for a while due to political reasons. 

As a result, his son went to school in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom and is fluent in English and a few other foreign languages.

On social media platform X, Mr Prabowo claimed in 2013 that he also speaks German, Dutch, and French.

Assoc Prof Teuku Rezasyah from Bandung’s Padjadjaran University said Mr Prabowo is a confident leader.

“And he is knowledgeable about international issuesph6,” he said.

Prabowo Subianto (left) and his son Mr Didit Hediprasetyo (right) meet French President Emmanuel Macron (centre) in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games opening. (Photo: Instagram/prabowo)

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