Jokowi’s Pyrrhic Victory

Abstract

Prabowo Subianto’s victory in Indonesia’s 2024 presidential elections was decisive, and it is widely accepted that incumbent President Joko Widodo’s de facto endorsement of him played a significant role in this outcome. But the motivations of Widodo (commonly known as “Jokowi”) for picking his former adversary as his heir, and the reasons for his determination to get Prabowo elected in a landslide, remain poorly understood. This article demonstrates that Jokowi selected Prabowo after other options had fallen through, and that he made his choice with full awareness of the risks and uncertainties involved. By implication, he also tolerated the danger a Prabowo presidency could pose to Indonesian democracy. Tempted by Prabowo’s offer to make Jokowi’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, his vice-presidential candidate, Jokowi went all-in and mobilized state resources to secure their triumph. Based on interviews with key actors, this article delivers a detailed picture of the factors that made Prabowo president—and that gave Jokowi few guarantees of continued influence. Show more