Author: Adi Abidin

Published: 26 November 2025

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s first year in power was orchestrated not only through policy rollout, but also carefully crafted rhetoric. His governing philosophy of discipline, compassion and continuity has resulted in an Indonesia that is stable, coherent and command-driven, forming a centripetal hierarchy that draws loyalty upwards. Twenty-five years after Suharto’s fall, Indonesian politics is witnessing a second smiling general with a brand of paternal populism that blends affection with authority.

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