The passage of Law No. 4/2026 has sparked controversy over its expansion of Bank Indonesia's mandate and its introduction of special bonds such as Patriot Bonds and Red and White Bonds, among 17 amendments to Law No. 4/2023 on Financial Sector Development and Strengthening (P2SK). While both provisions have attracted public scrutiny, particular concern has centered on the legal protections granted to funds used to purchase these special bonds. Critics argue that these protections create a regulatory loophole that could be exploited for illicit purposes.

The peace treaty between the United States and Iran, no matter how fragile, offers a measure of relief to President Prabowo Subianto, who is grappling with mounting economic and political pressures at home.

Recent rolling blackouts have exposed more than temporary technical failures. Although the government and state-owned electricity company PLN attributed the outages to shortages of medium-calorie coal and technical problems at two independent power plants, the disruptions highlight a deeper dilemma: balancing affordable electricity tariffs with the financial sustainability of electricity amid rising geopolitical and energy market uncertainty.

The corruption scandal engulfing the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has significantly amplified public skepticism toward President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program. What began as policy criticism has since escalated into street protests.

The government has finally green-lit the price increase for Pertamax, the widely used nonsubsidized gasoline with research octane number (RON) 92, after months of attempting to shield consumers from rising global oil prices triggered by the United States-Israeli war on Iran, particularly disruptions due to closure of the Strait of Hormuz. While the move is expected to ease pressure on public finances, it also creates new risks such as consumers shifting to subsidized fuels, increasing the government's subsidy burden.

Indonesia's labor market is sending mixed signals. Official data show unemployment declining, yet claims for unemployment and old-age benefits are surging, while job seekers now spend nearly 20 months on average searching for work. The contradiction raises a broader question: Is Indonesia’s labor market improving, or are conventional unemployment statistics failing to capture growing pressures beneath the surface?

The recently passed Police Law revision is difficult to view in isolation. Coming just over a year after the controversial revision of the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law, it forms part of a broader pattern in which Indonesia's security institutions are steadily gaining greater authority, flexibility and access to civilian spheres.