Gerindra: Prabowo's Foreign Trips Aimed at Maintaining Geopolitical Balance

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Spokesperson for Gerindra Party Sugiat Santoso said President Prabowo Subianto’s foreign trips are aimed at maintaining Indonesia’s geopolitical balance amid global competition. According to Sugiat, Prabowo’s visits to various countries should not be viewed merely as ceremonial agendas, let alone as budget wastage. ‘President Prabowo is practising high-level geopolitical hedging to ensure Indonesia is not overlooked by any global power,’ Sugiat stated in a comment to Kompas.com on Friday, 29 May 2026. The Deputy Chairman of DPR Commission XIII noted that assessing the president’s foreign trips solely on operational costs is a partial judgment. ‘Indonesia is not merely visiting. President Prabowo is converting our nickel commodity advantages and geopolitical position into tangible investments and security safeguards before global opportunities close,’ he added. Sugiat revealed that by end-May 2026, Prabowo will visit France, Austria, and Hungary. He cited France as a major military and technological power in Western Europe, making defence cooperation with Indonesia crucial. ‘Gradual political closeness built through repeated visits is essential for working with Macron,’ Sugiat said. Meanwhile, Austria is described as the hub of precision manufacturing in Central Europe, while Hungary is key to the European Union’s electric vehicle battery supply chain. ‘President Prabowo is visiting not as a beggar for aid, but as a holder of strategic commodities determining the future of the global automotive industry,’ Sugiat stressed. Therefore, Sugiat emphasised that the visits to these three countries aim to secure downstream investments and strengthen Indonesia’s position in the global electric vehicle battery industry. Beyond economics, Sugiat said Prabowo’s trips also aim to bolster defence cooperation and safeguard Indonesia’s sovereignty. He added that international diplomatic outcomes cannot be measured in the short term as their impacts will only be visible in the long run. ‘Indonesia is led by a patriot who precisely knows how to secure national interests abroad. Judging international diplomatic success based on results within weeks or months is illogical,’ Sugiat concluded.