[Apocryphon]

To be fair, Indonesia is hardly alone as a republic to have elected an appalling character for a leader. If anything, they're somewhat late to this past decade's wave.

[defrost]

Late?

They were early adopters of appalling character leaders, Suharto was elected in 1968 after seizing power and self appointing in 1967.

He was repeatedly elected for thirty years (with varying amounts of opposition and rigging during those decades).

[arczyx]

The election was just for show, he held absolute power those days.

[Apocryphon]

I meant specifically the contemporary populist wave since Brexit or so.

[keybored]

When someone points to something in the 60’s, it’s time to admit that your presumption that this is part of some outside wave might not be accurate.

[Apocryphon]

But that someone is wrong. Pointing out past strongmen (which both Suharto- and Sukarno, really, were) have led Indonesia in the distant past is not the same as Subianto being democratically elected into office and replacing the mainstream Widodo and ending the Era Reformasi. Subianto exists in the same company as Duterte, Modi, Erdogan, Bolsonaro, Meloni, Milei; 2010s and onwards figures.

[rsynnott]

I think it's easy to see Brexit and Trump as the start of this in retrospect, but it goes back further; Burlusconi is a particularly glaring example.

[Apocryphon]

Berlusconi is a perfect precursor to this type of character. But I'd say Conte and the Five Star Movement is far more populist and part of a global wave than Bunga-Bunga was.

[bboygravity]

You left out the bit where he murdered over a million or so unarmed civilians for possibly being communists.

[hdra]

"elected"