President Prabowo Subianto is hardly known for his commitment to human rights, not since taking up the presidency in October 2024 and certainly not during his Army years. He rarely addresses the issue in public, delegating it instead to his Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai to answer questions on the topic.

Surging global oil prices and tightening domestic fuel supplies have thrust Indonesia’s long-running electrification agenda back into the spotlight. Policymakers are increasingly portraying the shift, especially in the motorcycle sector, as the most practical and immediate way to curb fuel consumption. As part of this, the government is raising targets for its electric motorcycle conversion program, aiming to gradually electrify more than 120 million gasoline-powered motorcycles nationwide.

President Prabowo Subianto has utilized the Lebaran (Idul Fitri) holiday to maintain his ties with key political figures, including Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). As the only major party that has not formally declared support for his administration, Megawati’s potential backing represents the “One Piece”: the final element needed for Prabowo to fully consolidate his leadership, an outcome he has long pursued.

Garuda Indonesia continues to face deep financial distress, recording a net loss of US$319.39 million (Rp 5.2 trillion) in 2025, nearly five times larger than its 2024 loss. The recurring deficit has raised serious concerns, particularly as the flag carrier received a substantial capital injection of US$1.42 billion from state asset fund Danantara last year to stabilize its operations. Despite this financial support and multiple leadership changes, the national airline has yet to return to profitability, underscoring persistent governance challenges that have plagued it for years.

The plan to finance President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP) program remains controversial, as the burden is set to fall on state-owned banks and the Village Fund. The Finance Ministry has stipulated that state-owned banks, supported by government liquidity, will finance the establishment of KDMP units, while the Village Fund will be used for repayment. Without strong governance, the program risks repeating the failures of the New Order regime’s Village Unit Cooperatives (KUD).

Escalating geopolitical tensions between Iran and the United States-Israel are putting pressure on global oil markets and pushing many economies into a defensive stance. Against this backdrop, Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, has maintained an outwardly optimistic outlook, projecting economic growth of 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2026. Yet such confidence has been met with caution from economists and market participants. The concern is not merely how the government spends, but at what cost to fiscal credibility.

An ambitious national plan to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity has gradually evolved from an idea floated by President Prabowo Subianto into a program now moving toward implementation. In recent months, the initiative has gained clearer institutional backing, with state asset fund Danantara emerging as the main investment and financing vehicle tasked with mobilizing capital for rollout. The initiative is framed as part of efforts to strengthen energy self-sufficiency, one of Prabowo's key national priorities, particularly amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that could disrupt global energy supplies.