Reporter
Tempo
June 5, 2026 | 12:19 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Various circles, including people within the President’s inner circle, have argued that many of Prabowo Subianto’s policies adapt the ideas of his father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo. Former Finance Minister Muhammad Chatib Basri said both men believed state intervention was necessary to maintain economic stability.
Sumitro, a social democrat who embraced Keynesianism, implemented the Benteng (fortress) Program to strengthen Indonesian pribumi (native) entrepreneurs. The difference between father and son, Chatib said, is that Sumitro understood the risks of a “high-cost economy” if the state became too dominant. Prabowo, meanwhile, with his military background, believes sovereignty could be achieved only if the state holds full control. “You could say the goal is the same, but the dosage of intervention is different,” he told Tempo on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
