"Indonesia's Democratic Decline" w/Buffett Institute

Join us for a conversation with Salvatore Simarmata, Buffett-EDGS Visiting Scholar and Senior Lecturer in Communication at Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia.

While for the last two decades Indonesia has regularly held some of the world’s largest free elections, the trend and trajectory of its democracy is consistently declining, evidenced by V-Dem Institute revising Indonesia from electoral democracy to electoral autocracy in 2024. This talk argues that the decline is not a coup, but a gradual erosion caused by persisting elite capture, weaking of democratic institutions, and populist rhetoric. Why is resistance to this regression weak? One answer lies in the populist communication crafted during and beyond electoral periods. Analyzing presidential campaign statements and official speeches, Simarmata will show how the language of "the people," "the nation," and shared prosperity is captured. Hostile rhetoric nearly doubled after the 2025 protests in Indonesia as critics, NGOs, and journalists were recast as agents of foreign powers. Simarmata argues that this is a nationalist structure that allows people to submit to autocratic narratives and leaders.

Please register free of charge at: https://events.humanitix.com/edgs-talk-with-salvatore-simarmata?c=planitpurple

This event is hosted by the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. We from the Geopolitical Forum can continue the conversation and hang out after the event wraps up, perhaps over a coffee.

Please also RSVP here to help us find one another at the event.