Indonesia’s political economy has shifted from the promises of neoliberal globalisation toward a deeply entrenched oligarchic order, where dynastic politics and elite networks dominate governance and resource allocation.

Anutin Charnvirakul, newly endorsed as Thailand’s prime minister, faces an unusually fragile mandate shaped by a Memorandum of Agreement with the People’s Party (PP), which conditions his leadership on five key pledges: dissolving the House within four months, initiating constitutional reform via referendum and an elected drafting assembly, accelerating charter amendments, refraining from forming a majority government, and accepting PP’s role as the opposition.

Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa steps into the role of Indonesia’s new finance minister at a challenging time, tasked with navigating a 2026 budget already constrained by President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programs while needing to boost tax revenues by 13.5% without rate hikes and cut the fiscal deficit to 2.48% of GDP.

The February 2025 Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) elections in Thailand’s Lower North underscored the enduring influence of powerful political families known as Baan Yai, who continue to dominate local politics through entrenched patronage networks and personal credibility.

SINGAPORE: It was deja vu Friday (Aug 29) in Thailand when the country’s powerful nine-member Constitutional Court sacked Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over what it ruled was an ethics violation. 

Indonesia’s Q2 2025 GDP growth of 5.12% year-on-year with a sharp 4.04% quarterly jump paints an optimistic picture, driven by surging investment (+6.99%), double-digit export growth (10.67%), and robust gains in manufacturing and digital services.