
About
After six months as President of Indonesia, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has left observers both at home and abroad wondering about the country’s new direction.
Friends of Europe’s Policy Insight “What’s really happening in Jokowi’s Indonesia” endeavoured to get to the heart of the key foreign policy and economic challenges facing the new President. Panelists agreed it was too early to give Jokowi a red card and that the Indonesian leader needed more time to consolidate his authority and new policies.
The country is embarked on a massive effort to reform its economy and domestic politics, they said, adding that new ministerial cabinet included many inexperienced people while the legislature was also still finding its feet. As such, the enormous expectations placed on Jokowi have been tempered by the domestic realities. On the economic front, instead of focusing as in the past on commodity exports, Indonesia is expanding its manufacturing sector, service industries and focusing on consumers, food and energy security. It is also still a champion of democracy, remains committed to combating climate change and to the building of ASEAN’s Economic Community.
Schedule
With
Marc Deschamps
Director of Muslim Economic Department, L'Agence wallonne à l'Exportation et aux Investissements étrangers (AWEX)
Rahimah Abdulrahim
Executive Director, The Habibie Center
Felia Salim
Vice President Director, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) (2008-2015)
Ugo Astuto
Acting Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific, European External Action Service (EEAS)
Moderated by
Shada Islam
Managing Director at New Horizons Project
Speakers

Director of Muslim Economic Department, L'Agence wallonne à l'Exportation et aux Investissements étrangers (AWEX)
Deschamps is an expert in Islamic finance and economy at the Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency (AWEX). In this capacity he leads on all matters relating to Islamic industry and trade.

Executive Director, The Habibie Center
The Habibie Center is committed to promoting the modernisation and democratisation of Indonesian society based on the morality and integrity of sound cultural and religious values. As Executive Director, Abdulrahim is in charge of the day-to-day running of this leading Indonesian think tank, and also manages the ASEAN Studies Programme.

Vice President Director, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) (2008-2015)
Salim was appointed Vice President Director of BNI, one of Indonesia’s oldest banks, in 2008. The BNI was the first state-owned bank to be established after Indonesia’s independence and has played a vital role in the development of the Indonesian economy, having served as a central, development and commercial bank.

Acting Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific, European External Action Service (EEAS)
Before his appointment as Director for South and Southeast Asia in the EEAS, and subsequently as Acting Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific, Astuto was the Deputy Italian Ambassador to India. He started his career in the Italian Diplomatic Service where he held a number of other posts including in the European Reconstruction and Development Bank.

Managing Director at New Horizons Project
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