Dino Patti Djalal: Indonesian Democracy Still Functioning, But...

Founder and Chairman of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) Dino Patti Djalal believes Indonesian democracy is still functioning after nearly three decades of reform. However, he warned the government and the public not to be complacent, as various challenges to civil liberties and institutional quality still loom. “We are still a functioning democracy,” Dino told reporters on the sidelines of the Indonesia Youth Democracy Forum (IYDF) discussion on Wednesday (22/7/2026). According to him, Indonesia’s democracy, which has been running for about 28 years, is a “work in progress” that must be continuously safeguarded. He said institutional strengthening is a key requirement so that democracy does not depend on a strong leader figure. According to Dino, Indonesia’s political experience shows that a system overly oriented towards a leader figure produces weak institutions. Furthermore, he believes civil society has an important role as a buffer when democracy faces pressure. “When our democracy is faltering, the one holding the nail, the stabiliser, is civil society,” he said. Dino added that several pillars of democracy must also be continuously maintained, from press freedom, freedom of expression, open and fair political competition, to a government willing to accept criticism. He also called for the practices of corruption and money politics to be curbed, and for political parties to truly represent the aspirations of the people, rather than becoming an elitist system. “I do not feel that the condition of our democracy is fine,” he said. The former deputy foreign minister also touched on his personal experience after uploading criticism of government policy on social media, which then went viral. According to him, the initial attacks from accounts he called buzzers were eventually drowned out by the responses of netizens that emerged organically. “I was never offended because I never took it personally,” he said. Dino said this phenomenon shows that public opinion that grows organically is still strong and reflects the aspirations of the people, which the government needs to heed. He assessed that the unconstructive use of buzzers is unhealthy for democracy because it has the potential to pit the public against each other. “If there are things that the government needs to explain, it is better for the government itself to do so,” he said. He appreciated the steps taken by Foreign Minister Sugiono, whom he considered more active in explaining foreign policy to the public, including responding to various inputs he had conveyed. Regarding the role of social media, Dino assessed that digital platforms provide space for the public, especially young people, to express anxieties and criticisms that previously lacked an outlet. “Because, you see, all of that has actually existed for a long time. Young people, even the people who feel anxious, angry, frustrated. But there was no platform. So they only talked about it or felt it at home or in their own circles. What’s the difference now? Now their voices can be seen or heard by others. So there is actually nothing new in terms of the plurality of public views. And I think that is also a form of input for the government,” he said. He believes social media is an important indicator for reading public aspirations and cannot be fully controlled, as this dynamic also occurs in other democratic countries. However, Dino reminded that there are a number of legal provisions that could potentially narrow the space for freedom of expression if applied carelessly. He cited the article on insulting the president, which he said requires a clear boundary between criticism and insult. “Freedom is increasingly restricted now. Indeed, if we look at the current Criminal Procedure Code, there are articles that, if used or misused, could further castrate freedom of expression. So we must be wise in using them. For example, the article on insulting the president. But what is the definition? What is the boundary? Is it criticism or insult? So we must be wise, and the police must also be wise when receiving such complaints or reports,” he said. He expressed hope that law enforcement officials would act wisely in receiving and processing reports related to public expression on social media so that freedom of expression remains protected within Indonesia’s democratic system.