Opinion | Indonesia’s Joko Widodo hints at how he wants to be remembered: through his budgets and Nusantara spending plan
- He is likely to hand over the US$32.5 billion Nusantara capital project to his preferred successor Ganjar Pranowo, currently governor of Central Java
- Jokowi has used the rising cost of living to justify increased social spending, hoping to boost Pranowo’s chances of winning the presidency
Within this backdrop, Widodo – more commonly known as Jokowi – is insistent on cementing his presidential legacy by finishing the groundwork for the new capital of Nusantara in East Kalimantan.
Seen in the context of rising cost of living and inflation, this legacy project that some critics have called “vain” could be derailed as the administration focuses on social issues pertaining to the rising cost of living.
In this regard, Jokowi has been seen as being adamant to set the stage for his most favoured candidate, Ganjar Pranowo, to continue his Nusantara capital legacy.
An analysis of past and present national budgets and the expenditure plans for the Nusantara projects offers significant insights on how Jokowi is planning to preserve and continue his legacy.
Jokowi is making full use of the rising cost of living in Indonesia to cement his legacy through the Nusantara project. The current economic climate might provide a justification for him to raise social spending leading up to the 2024 presidential election, like he did during the 2019 elections.
The difference is that in the upcoming elections, at face value, there is no personal political gain for Jokowi by enacting such measures as he cannot be re-elected. Nonetheless, the consensus view is that the 2024 election remains high on the president’s priority list as he hopes to set up Pranowo as his successor.