Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

submittedVersion

Publication Date

12-2021

Abstract

In mid-2021, the Delta strain of the Covid-19 virus caused a second wave of transmissions and deaths in Indonesia at a scale much greater than what was seen in 2020. In this paper, I examine what the Indonesian government’s handling of the Covid crisis in 2021 reveals about the priorities of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), as well as his political agenda and attitude towards the country’s democracy, as he strives to cement his legacy. I argue that, while devastating, the Covid-19 pandemic has given Jokowi the opportunity to push through long-planned economic and political reforms. Furthermore, I contend that, under the guise of promoting social and political stability in the time of Covid, Jokowi has also allowed for further democratic regression in Indonesia through laws that restrict freedom of speech and through the further empowerment of the military and intelligence agencies in civilian life. This paper ends with an examination of Jokowi’s persistently high popularity rating and the discourse surrounding the rumoured push for a constitutional reform that would allow for a third-term Jokowi presidency.

Keywords

Indonesia, Jokowi, democratic regression, Covid-19, politics, economic development, pluralism, illiberalism, securitisation

Discipline

Asian Studies | Leadership Studies | Political Science | Public Health

Research Areas

Humanities

Publication

Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies

Volume

57

Issue

3

First Page

297

Last Page

320

ISSN

0007-4918

Identifier

10.1080/00074918.2021.2004342

Publisher

Routledge

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1080/00074918.2021.2004342

Download

Share

COinS