August 31, 2026 | 01:50 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto believes that a coalition is necessary to govern such a large nation like Indonesia, instead of being led by a single political party.
"Because of democracy, I must form a coalition. This coalition is to lead, govern, and manage a country that will soon cross a 300-million population," Prabowo said at the closing of the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress in Jombang, East Java, as broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat in Jakarta on Monday.
Prabowo explained that Indonesia's large population and vast territory require political cooperation to build strength. He compared Indonesia's scale to Europe, which comprises dozens of countries.
"We are as big as Europe. There are more than 27 countries in Europe," the President said.
According to Prabowo, his current cabinet is formed from a large coalition supported by a majority of political forces in parliament.
"The coalition government I lead is quite large, with seven of the eight parties in parliament," he said.
During the same occasion, Prabowo also compared Indonesia's political stability and dynamics with other countries, such as Japan and the United Kingdom, which frequently experience leadership changes in a short period of time.
"In Japan, even though there are only two major parties, the Prime Minister changes several times in five or six years. In the United Kingdom, there may be seven or eight Prime Ministers in five years," Prabowo said.
He explained that given Indonesia's vast territory and population, synergy between political elements is crucial to sustain state governance.
Read: Prabowo Says Indonesia Rejected IMF Loan Offer
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