Indonesian youth grow critical of President Prabowo two years after massive election support

Protests And Polls

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is facing growing public discontent from young voters as he marks his second year in office this month. Gen Z and millennial voters made up over half of all registered voters in the 2024 presidential election, and exit polls from Kompas showed Mr Prabowo won about two-thirds of Gen Z votes and nearly 60 per cent of millennial votes. Recent weeks have seen students and civil society groups take to the streets to protest the government's economic policies and its response to wildfires burning across Sumatra and Kalimantan. An opinion poll released this month by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting showed his approval rating dropped from 81.2 per cent in November last year to 44.5 per cent. Poltracking Indonesia separately found public trust in the administration at 64.8 per cent, with 62 per cent of respondents believing the government is seriously working on problems.

Voter Regret And Programs

Desfa Priamanda, a 32-year-old Jakarta millennial who voted for Mr Prabowo expecting him to continue the legacy of former president Joko Widodo, now says he feels like he committed a sin and is complicit in government policies. He is particularly disappointed by the controversial free school meals program, which was designed to combat undernutrition but has caused food poisoning in thousands of recipients. Critics also argue the program takes away money for teachers' salaries, though the government denies this. Badan Gizi Nasional, the agency overseeing the scheme, told parliament last month that digestive disturbances resulted from rule violations. Meanwhile, Indonesia's rupiah has weakened to historical lows against the US dollar amid fallout from the Iran-US war, though some economists point to domestic policy uncertainty. Global stock market index provider MSCI also announced a proposed downgrade of Indonesia's market from emerging to standalone last week.

Context

President Prabowo Subianto previously served as a special forces commander before rebranding his image for the 2024 campaign, where he chose former president Joko Widodo's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his running mate. The Indonesian government has acknowledged public concerns and stated that protesters have the right to freedom of speech. Mr Prabowo has defended his administration by stating that it has achieved tangible results while acknowledging that more work remains.