Cross-Party Presidential Dynasticism in Indonesia: Evidence from the 2024 Presidential Elections

Dynasticism is a persistent feature of global politics, and the political role of elite families and their client networks continues to evolve in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, former President Jokowi’s political dynasty, consisting of family members and clientelistic elites, is causing a number of contortions to the constitutional and presidential system. This article analyzes the strategy used by Jokowi to outmanoeuver the leading party in his coalition, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), while forming pragmatic big-tent coalitions through the co-optation of opposition parties and leaders. Indonesia’s post-1998 democratic system has structural flaws and legal ambiguities that enable the president to expand constitutional powers and influence key institutions. This article contends that a novel form of cross-party presidential dynasticism is reshaping elite power and electoral coalition-building in Indonesia. Our analysis is based on interviews with political party elites and campaign managers who were closely involved in the 2024 Indonesian presidential elections, supplemented by a review of Indonesian-language scholarship and reporting. Our findings contribute to theories of promiscuous power-sharing and coalition presidentialism. The rise of electoral manipulation and cross-party deal-making raises questions about the integrity of the world’s third-largest democracy.