{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1775277,
        "msgid": "prabowos-language-diplomacy-1780290915",
        "date": "2026-05-31 10:30:00",
        "title": "Prabowo's Language Diplomacy",
        "author": "Ferril Dennys",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "President Prabowo Subianto has designated Portuguese and French as priority languages in Indonesia's education system to strengthen ties with Brazil and France, a strategy dubbed 'language diplomacy'. Although public responses have been mixed, the policy aligns with existing foreign language offerings in senior high schools, albeit with implementation challenges due to varying resources. The government has acknowledged the initiative as part of broader diplomatic efforts.",
        "content": "<p>We now want this relationship to improve, there\u2019s still much we need\nto learn. And, given the importance of this relationship, I have decided\nthat Portuguese will be a priority language in our education system,\nbecause we want the relationship to improve,\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAside from English, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, French,\nGerman, and Russian, Portuguese and Spanish are priority languages for\nus. I think that\u2019s from me. Thank you, President Lula.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was stated by President Prabowo Subianto during the closing\npress conference with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at\nMerdeka Palace on 23 October 2025.<\/p>\n<p>During his fourth visit to France since becoming President of the\nRepublic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto made a similar statement that\nIndonesian schools must learn French.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have instructed that all levels of Indonesian schools must learn\nFrench, given future global developments,\u201d Prabowo Subianto stated\nduring a press conference with French President Emmanuel Jean-Michel\nFr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Macron at the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace on 28 May 2026.<\/p>\n<p>However, from an international relations perspective, both statements\ncan be interpreted as a form of \u2018language diplomacy\u2019 rarely used by\nprevious Indonesian leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Following President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s two statements, the Indonesian\npublic responded with varied reactions, both supportive and\ncritical.<\/p>\n<p>According to one definition in the Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI),\ndiplomacy also refers to the skill of using appropriate word choices to\ngain specific advantages in negotiations, answering questions,\nexpressing opinions, and so on.<\/p>\n<p>It is in this sense of diplomacy that the President has applied it in\npress conferences with other nations\u2019 leaders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe \u2018promise\u2019 of teaching foreign languages in Indonesian schools is\na \u2018word choice\u2019 that will harmonise relations between two nations and\npeoples.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although the promise is not easily fulfilled, Indonesia has already\nimplemented it at the senior high school level.<\/p>\n<p>At Senior High Schools (SMA), several foreign languages besides\nEnglish have long been taught, particularly French, German, Japanese,\nand Mandarin.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s statements are not mere\npromises but have already been implemented in Indonesia, albeit not\nuniversally across all schools, depending on teacher availability and\ninfrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>The relevant minister has also responded to the President\u2019s \u2018language\ndiplomacy\u2019.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prabowos-language-diplomacy-1780290915",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}