Elections in Indonesia: A narrow escape from the wave of populism?

Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies invites you to the next event in our Election Analysis Series.

Elections in Indonesia: A narrow escape from the wave of populism?
Monday, 29 April at 14:15, Lossi 36-305

General elections in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority democracy, were held on 17 April 2019. It was the world’s biggest direct presidential election & the most complicated single-day election with more than 193 million people eligible to vote, with around 6 million election workers, 800,000 polling stations, and 5 simultaneous elections (from presidential to local council).

Indonesia is regarded as the outpost of democracy in South-East Asia, having democratized in 1998, but the country has not remained untouched by the populist trends spreading in the world. Despite the fact that the current moderate President Joko Widodo is set to win the second term, the rise of radical Islamic groups and right-wing narratives of Muslim superiority have gained momentum in the last 5 years. Is Indonesia really a functioning democracy today? How likely is the return to authoritarianism? When previously Indonesia has been seen as a role model of democracy-Islam-ethnic diversity going hand-in-hand for the last 20 years, the current post-election situation could make another country cautious and more suspicious about importing the values of democracy from the West.

PhD researcher Radityo Dharmaputra will give an overview of the elections and discuss the possible implications for Indonesia, for the South-East Asian region, and the world in general.

Everyone is welcome!

https://skytte.ut.ee/en/news/elections-indonesia-narrow-escape-wave-populism