Present at DPR Plenary, Analyst Says Prabowo Aims to Allay Public Concerns

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Political communications analyst M Jamiluddin Ritonga says President Prabowo Subianto wants to ease public concern over the economy. Accordingly, Prabowo made his maiden appearance at the Plenary Session to present the Macroeconomic Framework (KEM) and the Fiscal Policy Package (PPKF) for the RAPBN 2027, which he views as a means to reassure the public about his leadership.

‘Prabowo wants to calm the public, including the markets, in the face of the rupiah’s continued decline. His presence in Senayan is intended to signal that the Indonesian economy is sufficiently strong,’ Ritonga said when contacted on Thursday (21 May 2026).

Politically, Prabowo’s presence in the DPR is also aimed at dampening market fears about the impact of a weakening rupiah. He is believed to be hoping that the public remains optimistic despite the rupiah’s decline. ‘So Prabowo’s appearance in Senayan appears to be seeking full support from legislators. This legislative backing is expected to spread to the public. In that way, Prabowo hopes to gain support from all segments of the nation,’ Ritonga said.

‘Because of the circumstances we face, I believe the President of the Republic of Indonesia must directly articulate the core ideas of the economy and state governance,’ Prabowo said in his speech at the DPR’s Plenary Session, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (20 May 2026).

Prabowo admitted he deliberately requested time to stand before the people’s representatives. ‘We now as a nation face geopolitical and geo-economic challenges full of conflict, tension, and uncertainty,’ he said. ‘Wars are taking place in many places, even in Europe, in the Middle East, in regions that are far from us, but which have a very large impact on our lives,’ he added.