Bakom: President Prabowo’s Initial Agenda Restricted to France

Head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom), Muhammad Qodari, has denied reports that President Prabowo Subianto planned to visit other countries following his four-day trip to France from 26 to 29 May 2026. Qodari stated that the president’s itinerary was solely for France with no plans to visit other nations. He clarified that Prabowo was not scheduled to visit other countries, such as Italy, as widely speculated by the public. ‘From the outset, the Indonesian government has not issued any statement that the President would go to Italy,’ he said in a written statement on Sunday, 31 May 2026. Qodari added that the official schedule for the President’s late-May trip was exclusively to France. ‘Should there be plans to visit another destination during the trip, it would only be tentative until an official announcement is made by the government,’ he explained. He also noted that the visit to France was previously communicated by Foreign Minister Sugiono one month in advance, confirming that the meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron had been planned for some time. While Prabowo was in France, rumours surfaced that the Gerindra Party chairman intended to visit other countries, including Italy, Austria, and Hungary. Gerindra spokesperson Sugiat Santoso claimed the presidential trip would continue to Austria and Hungary after completing the agenda in France. ‘President Prabowo will visit three European countries at the end of May 2026: France, Austria, and Hungary. These nations hold strategic positions important to Indonesia,’ Santoso said in a written statement on 29 May 2026. He added that Prabowo is implementing the ‘free and active foreign policy’ principle through proactive diplomacy. As a Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Commission XIII, Santoso believes the repeated visits to France aim to strengthen political ties with a country possessing the strongest military and technology in Western Europe. Regarding cooperation with Macron, Santoso stated that France does not sell advanced weaponry simply because a nation has wealth. He also highlighted that this stance reinforces Indonesia’s position of not following the United States or yielding to China.