The Army is creating 750 new battalions of combat troops in the next four years to ensure presence in every district nationwide, but in the absence of a credible explanation of where the new external threats are coming from, the plan raises speculations about the real motive.

Indonesia's draft revision of its renewable energy regulation has raised concern that the government is backtracking on its energy transition commitments. Rather than accelerating the shift to clean energy, critics say the revision to Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 112/2022 on Accelerating the Development of Renewable Energy for Electricity Procurement would open the door to more coal-fired power plants (CFPPs). The move risks derailing Indonesia's net-zero emissions (NZE) target and reinforces perceptions that the Prabowo Subianto administration prioritizes energy security over transition efforts.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has issued a stark ultimatum to the Customs and Excise Directorate General (DJBC): repair its battered reputation within a year or face the possibility of another institutional freeze. The warning puts the future of roughly 16,000 employees on the line. But the deeper question is whether the DJBC can truly rebuild itself or whether this threat simply postpones the next cycle of breakdown and intervention.

Indonesia's budget deficit widened Rp 479.7 trillion (US$29.98 billion) or 2.02 percent of GDP in October 2025, heightening concerns about the country's fiscal health. This marks a sharp increase from the Rp 309.2 trillion deficit, or 1.37 percent of GDP, recorded during the same period last year. The shortfall has been further pressured by sluggish state revenues as the government had collected only Rp 2.1 quadrillion by Oct. 31, equivalent to 73.7 percent of this year's revenue outlook.

The presence of the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) Private Airport in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi, has sparked controversy after Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin asserted that the facility operates without proper state oversight. The issue appears to reflect a broader debate among state institutions, revealing friction between figures from the previous administration and the current government.

Last month, President Prabowo Subianto skipped the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, undermining his claim to be a champion of multilateralism as well as his chances of assuming the vacant leadership of the Global South.

On Nov. 25, flash floods triggered by Cyclone Senyar struck Sumatra, severely damaging Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. Two weeks later, more than 3 million people had been affected, with 1 million displaced, 836 dead, 518 still missing, and some 2,700 injured as of 16.00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on Dec. 4.