Indonesia’s Role in ASEAN

Supporting regional integration processes within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) is an integral part of Europe’s strategic interests in South-East Asia. Hereby, Indonesia
is viewed as Europe’s most important partner in the region and primus inter pares within ASEAN. Such a
view is based first and foremost on the country’s sheer territorial dimension, its population of more than
240 million, its vast domestic market, and its historical role as a founding member of the organisation.
Additionally, it is Indonesia’s strategic location at the Strait of Malacca – one of the world’s busiest
shipping lanes – which accounts for its importance. But more importantly, it has been Jakarta’s claim to
exert regional leadership and its role as a driver of regional integration processes in ASEAN that have
made Jakarta appear to be a crucial partner for Europe. The recurrent concepts of “ASEAN centrality” as
well as ASEAN being the “cornerstone” of Indonesian foreign policy have been used by Indonesian
academics and policy-makers to shape the understanding of Indonesia’s role in ASEAN, domestically and
internationally.

Under the administration of Joko Widodo (“Jokowi”), however, indications seem to be growing stronger
that Indonesia is “turning away” from ASEAN. This is because a new narrative about Indonesia’s role in
ASEAN has apparently emerged in Jakarta since Jokowi’s ascent to office in October 2014. This
narrative gives priority to Indonesia’s national interests over other long-standing hallmarks of Indonesian
foreign policy – most notably the concept of “ASEAN centrality”, which, along with other foreign policy
hallmarks, is to be rigorously scrutinized in terms of its compatibility with Indonesia’s national interests.
Such apparent change, at least on the rhetorical level, sparked fears within the region and beyond over
Indonesia disavowing ASEAN shortly before the regional organisation met for the establishment of the
ASEAN Community on 31 December 2015. Bear in mind that many of the ideas behind the formation of
the ASEAN Community in no small part were crafted by Indonesia itself during previous administrations.
Moreover, if Indonesia were to turn away from ASEAN, it would also have potentially negative effects
on the implementation of the ASEAN Community’s Post-2015 Vision and its objective of further
deepening the regional integration process by 2022, as it had been assumed that Indonesia would lead the
process. Fears have been raised that, without active participation by Jakarta, the regional integration
process could effectively become stalled.