Indonesia balances between autocracies and democracies in anticipation of White House investment proposals

In May 2024, the Indonesian government, which continues the transition of power from President Widodo to the newly elected leader and current Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, took several provocative steps to undermine the United States’ interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

Since Indonesia controls some of the largest deposits of nickel and cobalt in the world (critical for the production of electric vehicle batteries) and part of the Malacca Strait (one of the world’s main economic arteries), its autocratic backsliding is a significant threat to the alliance of democracies.

It can lead to the political degradation of the countries of the so-called “Global South” that are oriented towards Jakarta as an alternative to Beijing and New Delhi.