Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto extends birthday wishes to former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who celebrates his 65th birthday today, Sunday, June 21, 2026.
Shared through the president's Instagram Story, the birthday post features a photo of Jokowi saluting while donning a formal suit and a traditional rimless cap (songkok), captioned, "Happy birthday to the 7th President of Indonesia, Mr. H. Joko Widodo, June 21, 2026."
Jokowi was born in Surakarta, Central Java, on June 21, 1961. His career in the government began as the Mayor of Surakarta, from July 28, 2005, until October 1, 2012.
Subsequently, he served as Jakarta Governor on October 15, 2012, before being elected as President in the 2014 Presidential Election, backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).
During his first term in office, he was accompanied by Jusuf Kalla. In the 2019 Presidential Election, Jokowi was re-elected as President with Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.
In the 2024 General Election, Jokowi was accused of political intervention in securing Prabowo Subianto's victory, who was paired with his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
During the dispute trial for the 2024 Presidential Election, the issues of political influence in social assistance and government apparatus mobilization were discussed and supported by the dissenting opinion of three Constitutional Justices.
However, the Constitutional Court ruled that Jokowi was not proven to have intervened in the election.
Birthday wishes for Jokowi also came from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) – the party led by Jokowi's youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep.
Jokowi has always been introduced as a pivotal figure to PSI. For a long time, PSI has signaled that Jokowi has a great chance of becoming the Chair of the PSI Board of Trustees.
"Happy 65th birthday, Bapak Joko Widodo. Thank you for the dedication, hard work, and contributions you have given to the Indonesian nation," read the caption on @psi_id's Instagram account on Sunday.
– Dian Rahma Fika Alnina contributed to the writing of this article.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2109631/prabowo-extends-birthday-wishes-for-former-president-jokow