Prabowo Vows to Discipline Unpatriotic Commentators Inciting Unrest

President Prabowo Subianto has responded to Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa’s report that several economists are sceptical about Indonesia’s economic resilience and are predicting a recession.

In response, Prabowo characterised such commentators and economists as unpatriotic and driven by agendas contrary to national interests.

“In my view, that is a narrow attitude, not a patriotic one, perhaps born from a sense of defeat and lack of power,” Prabowo said during a Full Cabinet Session in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March 2026.

Prabowo indicated he intends to discipline those who incite unrest through dissatisfaction with the government’s approach and its efforts to maintain economic stability domestically.

“We want to discipline them. I also have intelligence data. When I was outside government, now that I am president, I receive intelligence reports daily. I understand who is funding these people,” he stated.

Earlier, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa reported to President Prabowo that certain economists were making unusual claims that Indonesia’s economy is facing recession.

However, he emphasised that Indonesia’s economy is actually in an acceleration phase following pressures experienced in the previous year. He presented several macroeconomic indicators supporting this, including the Manufacturing Managers’ Index (PMI), Consumer Confidence Index (IKK), and Mandiri Spending Index (MSI).

“I deliberately included this because outside there are many saying we are already in recession, these odd economists say we are already in recession, just waiting for total collapse,” Purbaya said during the Full Cabinet Session at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March 2026.

Purbaya noted that the February 2026 Managers’ Index PMI had reached its highest level in two years at 53.8, whilst the IKK moved to 125.2, and the MSI trend rose to 360.7, indicating acceleration in the nation’s economy.

He additionally pointed out that automobile sales grew 12.2 per cent in February. “This is not trivial, sir. Last year it was negative, now it has become positive and is accelerating. We are far from what these outside economists are talking about—economic collapse—you see this a lot on TikTok, sir,” he stressed.

During this moment, Purbaya also emphasised that these data points demonstrate that “your policies are truly capable of reviving the economy,” and noted that “people’s purchasing power has genuinely improved.”