Jokowi Seen as Main Magnet Boosting PSI's Positive Image

The Indonesian Voters Institute (LPI) has released a national survey titled ‘The Influence of Jokowi on the Image of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) in the Public’s View’. The online survey, conducted across 32 provinces from 10 to 17 June 2026 with 1,922 respondents, found that the figure of Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has a significant influence on the image and level of public trust in PSI.

LPI’s Director of Research and Political Policy, Fernando Emas, stated that the survey findings reflect the political reality in Indonesia, which still relies heavily on the strength of figures and impacts the image of political parties. Regarding PSI, he noted a transfer of perception from the figure to the party.

‘From the LPI survey findings, an ’image transfer’ occurs between the figure of Jokowi and PSI, which is rumoured to be making him the Chairman of the party’s Advisory Board. The survey results show that an average of 70.2 percent of the public believes that PSI’s closeness to Jokowi can enhance the positive impression of the party,’ Fernando said. In detail, 37.7 percent of respondents assessed it can improve the image, 26.4 percent answered it can quite improve it, and 6.1 percent said it can greatly improve it. Meanwhile, 15.5 percent answered it cannot improve the image, 10.5 percent said it is less able to improve it, and 3.8 percent chose not to answer.

The survey also showed that an average of 77.8 percent of the public believes Jokowi has an influence on public support for PSI. Specifically, 35.8 percent answered he is influential, 30.9 percent said he is quite influential, and 11.1 percent assessed him as very influential. Conversely, 16.9 percent of respondents answered he is less influential, 3.5 percent said he has no influence, and 1.8 percent chose not to answer or did not know.

According to Fernando, this positive image will ultimately associate the figure with PSI, along with other attributions or identities emerging from respondents’ views. This includes the public perception of Jokowi as a man of the people and his unique, distinctive leadership style. The survey findings indicate that an average of 64.9 percent of the public assess PSI as a party of the people, like Jokowi. In detail, 30.5 percent of respondents answered it is quite populist, 25.5 percent said it is populist, and 8.9 percent assessed it as very populist.