MPR: Pancasila Values Must Be Strengthened to Counter Global Challenges

MPR Deputy Chair Lestari Moerdijat has stressed that the practical application of Pancasila values in daily life must be strengthened to confront national challenges, from global economic volatility to domestic social division threats.

“Amid increasingly evident global economic turbulence and persistent threats to national unity, the urgency of embedding Pancasila in everyday life is no longer optional but essential,” Lestari said in a written statement on Monday in Jakarta.

She noted Indonesia’s current challenges are increasingly complex and cannot be resolved through sectoral or partial approaches alone. Therefore, Pancasila principles must underpin economic policy-making, social development, and efforts to preserve national unity.

“Pancasila is not merely the nation’s foundation; it is the spirit that must be applied in every economic policy, social interaction, and unity-preserving effort. It is time to move from ceremony to concrete action,” she added.

Citing United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data predicting global economic growth of just 2.6% by 2026, she highlighted how developing nations face pressure from rising energy and food costs, along with currency exchange rate volatility.

To mitigate these impacts, she urged strengthened mutual cooperation among stakeholders through government, private sector, and community collaboration to protect vulnerable groups and bolster social safety nets.

“Without robust stakeholder mutual cooperation and tangible social justice, vulnerable groups will bear the brunt. The fifth principle must guide our policies,” she said.

Additionally, as a member of the House of Representatives’ Commission X, she emphasised the importance of enhancing public digital literacy to prevent the spread of misinformation and polarisation that could threaten national unity.