Jokowi Still Considered a Political Magnet

The political safari undertaken by Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo is seen as a sign that his political influence has not yet faded. Although he no longer holds power, Jokowi’s voter base is still considered an important factor in the competition leading up to the 2029 General Election, especially in Java.

Igor Dirgantara, a political analyst and Executive Director of Survei dan Polling Indonesia (SPIN), stated that Jokowi’s electoral strength remains a consideration because it can attract votes for those close to him. ‘Jokowi’s voter base is an important factor in the political competition heading towards the 2029 elections, particularly in Java. This means that even though Jokowi no longer has power, he is still considered to have influence, especially as a vote-getter for PSI and of course Gibran in the 2029 election,’ he said when contacted on Monday (29/6).

According to him, this influence is also inseparable from the character of Indonesian voters, who still have a relatively low level of loyalty to political parties. ‘Moreover, party ID in the context of Indonesian elections is still very low, around 10-20 percent,’ he said.

Igor assessed that Jokowi’s political safari is related to the political needs of those closest to him. He is of the view that neither PSI nor Jokowi’s children have been able to boost their electability independently, so they still need the electoral effect from the former president. ‘The political safari is carried out by Jokowi because PSI and his children, such as Kaesang and Gibran, are not quite able to lift their own electability, and neither is PSI. Their level of acceptability also depends on their father,’ he explained.

This condition, Igor continued, shows that Jokowi is still seen as having a strong political magnet within society. This is evident from his active efforts to maintain political communication, even though he had previously expressed a desire to return to a more private life after completing his presidential term. ‘At the end of his term as President, Jokowi once said he would return to Solo and focus on looking after his grandchildren. The fact is, the political safari has become his focus. Maybe he has, but not yet,’ Igor concluded.