JAKARTA: Joko Widodo's first public political tour since leaving office has shown that the former Indonesian president, also known as Jokowi, is laying the groundwork for Indonesia's 2029 elections by boosting the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and safeguarding his family's political future, analysts told CNA. Indonesia Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is Jokowi’s elder son, while PSI chairman Kaesang Pangarep is his youngest child. Meanwhile, North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution is married to Jokowi’s only daughter Kahiyang Ayu.The three-day visit to Lampung from Jun 26 to Jun 28 - where Jokowi appeared to be wearing a PSI attire and urging the public to support the party - had prompted questions about his political ambitions.
Former Indonesian president Joko Widodo addresses PSI members during an event in Lampung province on Jun 26, 2026. (Photo: Facebook/PSI)
Political analyst Aditya Perdana of the University of Indonesia said that the Lampung visit - the first of what appears to be a planned multi-stop tour - was intended to raise PSI’s profile. The party has yet to secure any parliamentary representation since its founding in 2014. “Jokowi is positioning himself to fight under PSI's banner,” Aditya told CNA, adding that the visit also sought to ensure that Gibran could continue to be President Prabowo Subianto’s running mate in the next election. Indonesia’s next elections are not until 2029, with campaigning to begin the year prior, but Aditya stressed that beginning political outreach now is not premature as building public support requires years of sustained engagement.Even so, analysts cautioned whether Jokowi still wields enough influence to help build the long-term political careers of his family members. Beyond that, they noted that Jokowi’s moves have also signalled support for Gibran to team up once more with Prabowo for a second term even if the trip to Lampung is an early test of public sentiment. KEEPING THE JOKOWI BRAND ALIVE FOR PSIJokowi’s Lampung trip was more than a routine post-presidential visit, said analysts.Ray Rangkuti, executive director of Jakarta-based think-tank Lingkar Madani, said Jokowi was seeking to maintain his political influence by helping secure PSI's parliamentary future, thereby preserving his family's political prospects."The political fortunes of his children still depend heavily on Jokowi's popularity,” he said.This is because Gibran and Kaesang’s popularity and, in turn, their electability ratings as politicians would be low without his endorsement, according to Ray.He added that Jokowi’s continued involvement reflects his desire to remain an influential political figure rather than step back as a retired statesman, as the former president had claimed he would.Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a political researcher at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), also viewed the Lampung tour as an effort to show that Jokowi remains politically relevant even after parting ways with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the lead-up to the 2024 elections. Jokowi became Indonesia’s seventh president in 2014 with the endorsement of PDI-P - the country’s largest political party. Its chairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri, considered Jokowi a close member of her party and the duo was often photographed together.
