“The easiest way to avoid criticism is to say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.” After decades of service in the military, public life, and politics, I have come to appreciate the profound truth of that old saying.
I welcome criticism. In a democracy, criticism is not merely healthy—it is essential. I have always made it a habit to examine carefully every criticism directed at my government and to weigh it against facts, achievements, and the realities faced by ordinary citizens.
I believe in democracy. Democracy is imperfect, yet it remains the best system available to us. That is why I have faithfully participated in the democratic process. I ran for the presidency not once, not twice, but five times since 2004—in 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, and finally prevailed in 2024. I understand very well that democratic legitimacy is earned through patience, public trust, and respect for the will of the people.
Yet our responsibility as a government is to serve all Indonesians, not merely the more than 90 million citizens who voted for us in the most recent election. We must work for our shared future and deliver on the platform upon which we were elected, as every democratic government ought to do. After decades in which Indonesia was too often described as a nation of unrealized potential, we are determined to ensure that this country finally fulfills the promise and strength inherent in its people. We pursue that goal not through rigid dogma or ideology, but through pragmatism, professionalism, and measurable results.
At times, however, certain criticisms seem detached from the realities faced by Indonesians in their daily lives.
I was, for instance, surprised by how readily some observers dismissed our Free Nutritious Meals Program. For me, it is difficult to ignore the fact that one in five Indonesian children suffers from stunting due to malnutrition, or that millions of pregnant women and young children fail to receive adequate nutrition during the most critical stages of human development.
More than one hundred countries around the world operate nutritional assistance or school meal programs in one form or another. Indonesia is not pursuing anything radical or unusual. We are addressing a national challenge that directly affects the future health, productivity, and competitiveness of our people.
The same philosophy underpins our broader investments in Indonesia’s future. Alongside the nationwide expansion of the Free Nutritious Meals Program, we have upgraded hospitals, provided annual free health check-ups for all citizens, launched the largest school revitalization initiative in Indonesia’s history, established boarding schools for children from the poorest families through the Sekolah Rakyat program, and created Danantara to strengthen the management of national assets and ensure Indonesia captures greater value from its long-term economic transformation. We promised these programs to the Indonesian people, and we have worked tirelessly to fulfill those promises.
A similar misunderstanding often arises in discussions of our broader economic agenda. Where some critics see excessive intervention, I see farmers trapped by middlemen, fishermen burdened by predatory lending, and rural families paying inflated prices for subsidized goods. The old system enriched intermediaries while leaving producers weak and vulnerable. We chose a different path: empowering producers by shortening supply chains, expanding access to affordable credit, and strengthening food and energy security. That is why we have launched our village cooperative program.
When I first assumed office, millions of Indonesian farmers still struggled to obtain subsidized fertilizer because distribution was hindered by 145 overlapping regulations. We simplified the system into a single presidential regulation and enabled direct distribution. We deployed more than 77,000 water pumps to support agricultural productivity and increased government procurement prices for paddy rice to protect farmers from sharp declines in income. Today, the Farmers’ Terms of Trade Index has reached its highest level in thirty-four years.
These are not abstract economic theories. They are tangible improvements in people’s lives.
My people need results, and those results must come swiftly. That is why I have asked the police and the armed forces to help deliver outcomes for the people—rehabilitating areas of Sumatra after devastating floods, building bridges, and helping secure our food supply. In Indonesia, state institutions must work together not only to maintain order but also to improve the daily lives of citizens.
Of course, Indonesia operates today in a difficult and uncertain global environment. Wars and geopolitical tensions have increased volatility in energy, food, and financial markets across the world. Yet Indonesia remains resilient. In the first quarter of 2026, we recorded the second-highest economic growth rate among G20 nations. Our budget deficit remains below 3 percent of GDP, while our debt-to-GDP ratio is significantly lower than that of many advanced economies.
At the same time, we have strengthened fiscal discipline and institutional integrity as never before. We have eliminated more than Rp300 trillion in inefficient spending, enhanced tax digitalization, improved export governance, cracked down on smuggling, and maintained strict deficit discipline amid global turbulence.
Meanwhile, we continue to invest in Indonesia’s long-term sovereignty and resilience. We are reducing dependence on imported fuel through B50 biodiesel, accelerating the development of electric vehicles, expanding solar energy, building new refineries and strategic fuel reserves, and formalizing community-based oil production so that small producers can participate in the formal economy.
These uncertain times require common sense—to support and advance our people, our economy, and above all, our democracy.
Let me state this clearly: Indonesia is a democracy, and it will remain a democracy. I was elected by more than 90 million Indonesians through a free and fair election, and I am humbled to have received more votes than any leader anywhere in the world.
In our culture, cooperation is valued more highly than permanent political fragmentation, and humility more than endless political hostility. Must Indonesia replicate the polarization, bitterness, and paralysis increasingly visible in parts of the Western world merely to prove that it is democratic enough?
We have chosen a different path. We believe democracy should produce stability, civility, and progress—not deadlock. History will not judge us by how elegantly we defended the status quo. History will judge us by whether we solved the real problems facing our people.
For years, Indonesia has grown at around five percent, and that is not enough. We aim for eight percent. We will not achieve it by doing the same things we have always done. In our context, complacency with the status quo means stagnation. That is not a path we are prepared to take.
There have undoubtedly been instances of error and actions by individuals that may not have fully reflected my principles or intentions. These have contributed to negative perceptions abroad, including allegations that democracy has regressed under my leadership. That is a challenge I must confront and address. Yet Indonesia should ultimately be judged not by isolated incidents or simplistic caricatures, but by the strength of its institutions, the openness of its society, and the well-being of its people.
Indonesia’s journey will not be perfect. No great national transformation has ever been. But we are determined that this nation will no longer be defined by doubt, dependency, or performance below its potential.
Indonesia does not fear scrutiny. Our critics will continue to hold us accountable, and that is precisely as it should be.
I welcome the media openly. I may well be the first Indonesian president to sit for a four-hour unscripted interview—not once, but twice. I understand that leadership in a democracy demands openness, accountability, and a willingness to confront difficult questions directly.
As a government, we will answer criticism not with rhetoric, but with results—results that can be measured by anyone, anywhere.
This is the path we have chosen.
