Jokowi to Tour Indonesia Next Month, NTT to be First Stop
East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is scheduled to be the first region visited by Indonesia’s 7th President, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), as he prepares to tour the country starting next month. This follows reports that Jokowi’s health has fully recovered.
“The leak is that Mr Jokowi will visit NTT to observe seaweed cultivation and greet the people of NTT,” said Projo Secretary-General Freddy Alex Damanik when contacted on Monday (18/05/202_). Freddy noted that the list of visit locations remains dynamic and that NTT’s position as the inaugural location is still subject to change.
He explained that Projo officials will accompany Jokowi during each regional visit. According to Freddy, the primary motivation behind Jokowi’s return to ‘blusukan’ (field visits) is to maintain his closeness to the people. He stated that Jokowi wishes to demonstrate that his commitment to observing the people’s conditions directly remains unchanged, even after leaving the presidency.
“Jokowi’s grand vision to tour Indonesia is certainly to keep the emotional connection with the people alive, maintain his image as a leader of the people, and show that he has not changed despite no longer holding the presidency,” said Freddy.
Freddy further explained that Jokowi recognises that emotional proximity often carries more weight than formal political office in Indonesia. The decision to resume field visits is seen as a strategic move to maintain the loyalty of volunteers. “Therefore, Mr Jokowi must maintain the loyalty of volunteers, sustain communication with regional heads, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and grassroots groups, while ensuring his political influence remains relevant in Indonesian politics,” he added.
When asked if next month’s tour is a precursor to the 2029 General Election, Freddy responded diplomatically, stating it is perfectly legitimate in a democracy for him to support specific political ideas or figures.
The plan for Jokowi to tour Indonesia was first revealed following his meeting with Projo Chairman Budi Arie earlier this month. Freddy Alex Damanik mentioned that during that meeting, Jokowi stated he had recovered 99 per cent and planned to tour Indonesia starting in June 2026. The meeting between Jokowi and Budi Arie took place on Wednesday (01/05) in the Rawamangun area, East Jakarta.