Two-hour speech ends; Prabowo thanks PDIP as it remains in opposition

President Prabowo Subianto’s speech at the DPR plenary session lasted around two hours. At the end of his address, Prabowo thanked the PDIP, which is regarded as choosing to remain in opposition to his government. He said democracy still requires opposition to uphold checks and balances in the machinery of government.

“I understand and appreciate that PDIP sacrifices itself by staying outside my government; I understand that. Actually, I would like to thank PDIP,” Prabowo said in the DPR plenary session, Jakarta, on Wednesday, 20 May.

Prabowo said that PDIP has contributed to safeguarding the continuity of democracy in Indonesia.

Prabowo joked privately that he wished all political parties would join his governing coalition. However, he admitted that such a condition would not be healthy for the continuity of democracy.

“Every leader must be willing to be criticised; every executive must be overseen. Thank you for your oversight,” he said.

There is a proverb that says if someone reminds us—even if we don’t like it—that warning saves us, he added.

In his speech, Prabowo outlined the “Macro-Economic Framework and the Core Fiscal Policy (KEMPPKF) of the RAPBN 2027.” The President targets economic growth of between 5.8 and 6.5 percent in 2027. For the underlying assumptions of the KEMPPKF RAPBN 2027, the government targets inflation at around 1.5 to 3.5 percent.

In terms of the exchange rate, the rupiah is targeted to be in the range of Rp16,800 to Rp17,500 per US dollar. The briefing of the KEMPPKF RAPBN in front of the DPR marks the first time the president has delivered such a briefing. The new practice comes amid volatility in the rupiah against the dollar and a decline in the IHSG.