80 Years of Indonesian Independence

President Prabowo kisses the Indonesian flag. (Photo: Rusman - Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau)

President Prabowo Subianto bowed and kissed the Red and White flag before handing it over to the bearer. This scene became the most powerful symbol of the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia. The eighth president of the Republic seemed to emphasize that independence is not just a ceremony, but a promise that must be kept.

In the Palace courtyard, after the raising of the red and white flag, music echoed. President Prabowo Subianto, Lieutenant Colonel Teddy, and officials danced with the people. Street vendors lined the streets, and residents ate freely. It was a warm, public celebration. In Cilincing, North Jakarta, fishermen and fish traders celebrated independence with a competition at the Fish Auction Place. They wore traditional clothing, demonstrating the vibrant diversity.

"The government should pay more attention to small-scale fishermen, so they can help them," said Ina (29), a fish trader who attended in traditional Bugis attire.

However, behind the celebration and carnival, critical voices emerged. Megawati Sukarnoputri reminded that the 80th anniversary of independence should be a momentum to revive the spirit of mutual cooperation. Puan Maharani emphasized that a nation can only be strong if the people build a shared future. However, on the ground, solidarity often trumps elite interests.

A similar reflection came from Nahdlatul Ulama. The Deputy Chairman of PBNU, KH Zulfa Mustofa, said the nation still faces a "new colonialism": poverty, ignorance, and injustice. He reminded them that the 1945 Jihad Resolution is proof that independence is not just a physical matter, but also spiritual freedom.

"As long as the people remain poor and access to justice is unequal, we are not yet fully independent," he asserted, as reported on the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) website.

Criticism intensified when President Prabowo Subianto proposed the 2026 State Budget with the largest education budget in history: IDR 757.8 trillion. This grand promise was praised, but also questioned. Jejen Musfah, an education observer at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, assessed that the main problem lies in governance, not numbers. Ubaid Matraji, Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI), even called President Prabowo's claims of success full of overclaims, while data shows the number of children out of school has actually increased to 3.9 million.

In his State Address for the Presentation/Statement on the Bill on the 2026 State Budget, President Prabowo Subianto expressed his desire that the State Budget (APBN) in 2027 or 2028 would no longer record a deficit.

However, Eko Listyanto, Director of Big Data Development at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), considered this target unrealistic. In fact, the deficit widened: from 2.27 percent of GDP in 2023 to 2.29 percent in 2024, Prabowo's first year in office.

A similar irony is evident in other sectors. Kompas noted that poverty, unemployment, and inequality remain wide open. Data from the Ministry of Manpower shows that between January and June 2025, 42,385 workers were laid off, a jump of more than 32 percent compared to last year.

President Prabowo Subianto has spoken out loudly about controlling 3.1 million hectares of illegal palm oil plantations. But the public awaits proof. Is this commitment real or merely rhetoric?

Meanwhile, Fadli Zon, Minister of Culture, warned that development without culture is like a house without a foundation. Culture is not merely aesthetics, but a bulwark of identity amidst globalization. The message is important, but the public knows that there is often a gap between speeches and policy priorities.

Eight decades into independence, Indonesia faces challenges from within: corruption, money politics, and structural injustice. This is the common thread that binds all reflections on Independence Day—that the nation's greatest enemy is no longer foreign invaders, but rather the failure of the elite to uphold the mandate of independence.

And we have high hopes for President Prabowo Subianto. That Indonesia will be truly united, sovereign, prosperous, and progressing.

Because the flag kissed by the president is only meaningful if the people experience justice and prosperity. Otherwise, the Independence Day celebration is merely a soulless dance.