Jokowi looks for next political vehicle in PSI

Although no longer in office, former president Joko ‘’Jokowi’’ Widodo appears and intends to play a significant role in national politics, as evident in the frequent encounters between him and his successor, President Prabowo Subianto , and the presence of over a dozen of his “men” in the current cabinet. In the latest gambit to remain relevant in the political theater today and beyond, Jokowi has proposed that the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), which is led by his youngest son Kaesang Pangarep, shift toward a “super open” party in its upcoming congress in May.

Many have speculated that Jokowi’s advice about the future of the PSI reflects his bid to come back to practical politics through the minority party, which is part of the ruling coalition, after he was officially dismissed from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) earlier this year. For nearly two decades, Jokowi had relied on the PDI-P backing in his quest for office, as a mayor of Surakarta in Central Java in 2005-2012, governor of Jakarta in 2012-2014 and president in 2014-2024.

After Jokowi and the PDI-P parted ways ahead of the February 2024 elections, the former president has been linked to a move to several political parties, especially the Golkar Party, which named him and his eldest son Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka honorary members in December 2024, albeit informally. Several Golkar sources have said that party chairman Bahlil Lahadalia once offered Jokowi a post in the party’s structure, but the former president refused to take it.

Jokowi holds no position in the PSI’s structure, but his statement about the party’s transformation speaks volumes about his readiness to return to politics. Jokowi said the PSI should adopt an open mechanism to elect its leader and in its day-to-day organization, which characterizes modern parties around the world.

Kaesang welcomed his father's suggestion but stopped short of confirming Jokowi’s possible entry to the party.

Kaesang catapulted to the party’s chief post in September 2023, just two days after he joined the party. Under Kaesang, the PSI formalized its alliance with the grand coalition to help Prabowo and Gibran win the presidential election. The PSI’s hope of securing the parliamentary threshold, however, did not materialize despite its tactic to lure Jokowi’s supporters to vote for it in the legislative election.

Former PSI politician Guntur Romli, who has shifted allegiance to the PDI-P following the former’s support for the Prabowo-Gibran ticket, deems Jokowi’s move to be meant to protect Kaesang’s weak leadership in the party.

It remains to be seen whether Jokowi will officially declare his entry to the PSI during its upcoming congress. The event, to be held in Surakarta, is believed to be strategic as the party will make early preparations for the 2029 elections. Thanks to the Constitutional Court’s ruling that eliminates the presidential threshold, the PSI is eligible to nominate its own presidential and vice presidential candidates.

However, even if Jokowi decides to stay out of the PSI, his political clout will persist due to his link to the Golkar chairman, Bahlil, whose rise to the top post of the country’s second largest party was orchestrated by then-president Jokowi.

Besides, Jokowi also controls ProJo, the biggest supporter group loyal to him, with about 7 million members. ProJo, however, has not declared its plan to transform into a political party.

Jokowi is also believed to remain in command of the police force, whose leader, Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, is a loyal supporter of the former president.