As PSI and Projo Compete for Jokowi's Narrative, How Strong Will the 'Jokowi Effect' Be in 2029?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The name of the 7th President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, is once again being contested in the political arena ahead of the 2029 elections. The Solidarity Indonesia Party (PSI) and the Projo volunteer organisation both position Jokowi as a central figure to maintain their political influence in the future. On the one hand, PSI has openly stated that Jokowi is now part of the party’s political direction. On the other hand, Projo asserts that Jokowi does not belong to any particular group or party. This polemic regarding the “Jokowi effect” raises new questions about how much Jokowi’s influence will boost political electability after he is no longer in office as president. In fact, PSI has designated Jokowi as the political patron of the elephant-symbol party. “Mr. Jokowi is already with PSI. That’s one thing. He will be with us, and we have designated him as the political patron of PSI’s future struggle. We are just waiting for the right time, considering his health,” Bestari told Kompas.com on Thursday (14/5/2026). Bestari revealed that this belief was strengthened by Jokowi’s statement at the PSI National Working Meeting in January 2026. At that time, Jokowi reportedly stated that he was ready to help PSI win. According to Bestari, Jokowi is even ready to go down to the regions directly. Bestari believes that Jokowi’s presence in PSI will strengthen public confidence in the direction of the former Mayor of Solo’s politics after stepping down from the presidential chair. “And it will increasingly become public confidence that Mr. Jokowi is no longer anywhere else, and is with PSI, working together with PSI to win the 2029 election,” he added. Amidst PSI’s manoeuvres, Projo’s Secretary-General, Freddy Alex Damanik, asserted that Jokowi does not belong to any particular group or political party.