Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's increasingly active foreign diplomacy is drawing growing scrutiny, with critics questioning the transparency, urgency and tangible benefits of his frequent overseas engagements as Indonesia grapples with economic headwinds and a range of domestic challenges.
Ahead of the Idul Adha holiday last week, Prabowo traveled to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on strengthening cooperation in areas such as defense, energy and education, and also attended the Idul Adha celebrations with members of the Indonesian diaspora.
The trip marked Prabowo's fourth visit to France since taking office in October 2024 and added to a busy international schedule that has seen him visit at least 29 countries in more than 50 overseas engagements.
The pace of those visits has fueled questions about the administration's priorities, particularly as the government grapples with a weakening rupiah amid global dollar strength, regulatory uncertainty and other pressing domestic challenges.
The latest trip has also renewed criticism over the government's communication strategy, with opposition figures and foreign policy observers arguing that the objectives and expected outcomes of many presidential visits have not been clearly conveyed to the public.
Andreas Hugo Pareira of the quasi-opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the government should have provided clearer explanations regarding the purpose and targets of presidential visits abroad.
"It's curious that only after the President flew [to the foreign country] was the trip explained to the public," Andreas, who also serves as the deputy chair of House of Representatives Commission XIII overseeing human rights, said on Saturday. "The media should have been informed beforehand so the public would also know, since the President is representing the country."
Separately, PDI-P politician Mohamad Guntur Romli questioned the government's portrayal of the France trip as a diplomatic success, noting what he described as limited attention from the French media.
"French outlets such as Le Monde, for example, only mentioned the visit briefly, which showed its lack of significance," Guntur said in an Instagram post on Sunday. "Instead, the outlet published a critical piece about Prabowo's economic policies."
Former deputy foreign minister Dino Patti Djalal also urged the President to scale back the frequency of overseas travel, saying public concerns should not be dismissed outright.
"Since assuming office, the President has spent roughly one out of every six days abroad. It is therefore understandable that some people view this as unusual," Dino said in an Instagram post on Saturday.
Dino argued that presidential trips require substantial state spending on transportation, accommodation, logistics and security arrangements, with the cost of a single visit potentially reaching tens or even hundreds of billions of rupiah.
He recommended greater use of virtual diplomacy, improved long-term planning of overseas travel, clearer communication about presidential schedules and a larger role for Foreign Minister Sugiono in representing Indonesia at certain international engagements.
The government, however, has defended Prabowo's active diplomatic outreach with Government Communications Agency (GCA) head Muhammad Qodari saying the latest visit to France had been publicly announced in advance and served important strategic objectives.
"Minister Sugiono had already announced this [trip] beforehand," Qodari said during a livestreamed press conference on Sunday.
He added that the Paris trip was a reciprocal visit following Macron's recent trip to Indonesia and argued that Prabowo's personal rapport with foreign leaders, including those from major powers such as China, Russia and the United States, was a valuable diplomatic asset.
While acknowledging Prabowo's experience in defense and international affairs, foreign policy analyst Teuku Rezasyah of Padjadjaran University cautioned that the President's hands-on diplomatic style should not sideline Indonesia's diplomatic corps, noting that ambassadors appeared largely absent from several high-profile meetings with foreign leaders.
"At the end of the day, the person who understands France best from Indonesia's perspective is the Indonesian ambassador to France, yet the ambassador was not visible during Prabowo's latest visit," Teuku told The Jakarta Post on Monday, noting that the same thing happened when Prabowo visited Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He also suggested that some foreign policy initiatives announced during overseas visits appeared insufficiently prepared, citing Prabowo's call in France to expand French-language instruction in Indonesian schools.
The proposal drew criticism from educators and policymakers, much as his earlier suggestion to introduce Portuguese-language programs following talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last year.
Source: https://asianews.network/indonesia-president-prabowos-frequent-foreign-trips-raise-priority-concerns