The Board of Peace is going nowhere. It is Fake Governance.

Very interesting paper by the University of St.Gallen, looking and comparing across countries the quality of Elite business models. Elite quality refers to the capacity of elites to create sustainable value for society rather than extract it through rent-seeking papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

The ceasefire and the negotiations in the US/Israel - Iran war happen while the two parties are actually trying to strangle each other. To paraphrase Von Clausewitz, ‘politics is the continuation of war by other means’

The way and the extent to which Indonesian politicians switch from one political party to another looks a lot like the transfer market of soccer players. www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/20...

Interesting Policy brief by @clingendael.bsky.social on Indonesia’s Parallel Engagement with BRICs, the OECD and the EU www.clingendael.org/publication/...

Kemitraan-Partnership for Governance Reform, where I work, op-ed on the importance of Youth Engagement. Jakarta Post, 16 April

This is an excellent summary of a sad development: how the Prabowo government is undermining Indonesia’s economic future

Following Trump’s raging social media and seemingly uncontrollable anger should create a far greater concern that this man has his finger on the button of the launch of US nuclear arms

Great overview of the implications of the recent establishment of legal responsibilities for platform design and where to focus if we want to contribute to social cohesion rather than polarization. open.substack.com/pub/techands...

For anyone interested in my current engagement with Kemitraan - Partnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia, here is a first reflection paper from our Knowledge and Advocacy Center on the protests from August 2025 (Indonesian) kemitraan.or.id/knowledge-an...

The Israel army killed an Indonesian peacekeepers in South Libanon, and wounded two others. It will further problematize President Prabowo’s intent to join the ‘Board of Peace’ for Palestine. There is no domestic support for such a step. And all politics is local…

Global economies are incredibly interconnected, while global politics is drifting apart. Who or what can save us from this dichotomy?

Lisa Schirch and David Kortright draw lessons learned from past campaigns to underline the potential relevance of boycotts for anti-Trump ‘No King’ protests. theconversation.com/millions-are...

New Dutch Cabinet is facing an uphill battle in restoring Dutch international standing with Mark Rutte’s continuous blatant support for Trump bsky.app/profile/atru...

Almost three weeks into the war against Iran, for the US it is increasingly turning into an expression of imperial overstretch. Israel might be happy with Iran’s military capacities reduced, but it will have to live in a region which will forever hate it. Congratulations with that kind of security.

The Epstein saga is a container full of the worst. One sad impact is how it feeds the lack of trust in international institutions, because it exposes an extended network among the global elite showing no principles nor morale, chasing greed, illicit sex and impunity

x.com/business/sta... At the beginning of 2026, the Prabowo Government is facing escalating problems. The downgrade by Moody’s of the capital market rating is a proper reflection of the overall spirit in the country.

Markets remain skeptical after recent changes in both key positions- and policies in Indonesian Ministry of Finance and Bank Indonesia. For the first time the Indonesian Rupiah slips in value to above IDR 20.000 versus the Euro

The Nobel Committee should withdraw the Nobel Peace Price for Maria Corina Machado

Very happy to meet with Ibu Sinta Nuriyah Wahid at the beginning of the new year, an outstanding example of leadership, wisdom and integrity but also the kindest person you can imagine.

I used to be a frequent traveller to the U.S.A. Now they want to know the colour of your underwear before you enter the country. visasnews.com/en/us-social...

The new US National Security Strategy confirms what we knew already: Europe is on its own. Better acknowledge that and create new European security arrangements and seek new alliances with South-Southeast Asia and Africa to counter Russia and balance China www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

Quick work from the Center for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) assessing the economic impact of the flooding in Sumatra which clearly took the Government by surprise: celios.co.id/dampak-kerug...

Fake news entering soft diplomacy. Very interesting insights in how China tries to portray itself online for Indonesian audiences as a part of the Muslim world. www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianou...

On a lighter note: I have never before seen three ‘orchid’s of the night’ next to each other. ‘Widjaya Kusuma’ in Indonesian. They bloom only at night and only one night.

It is quite astonishing how the formation of a new Cabinet in the Netherlands is immediately affected by nitty gritty, which makes an experienced politician step back from taking a leading role in the process. Does not bode well for the outcome

I am shocked by the ‘mistake’ of the BBC to manipulate President Trump’s 06 January speech. It is wrong and counterproductive beyond imagination. You cannot fight authoritarianism by violating principles. Now, Trump no longer needs to ly anymore to ‘prove’ the evil of the media. What a blunder.

The formal acknowledgment of Suharto as a ‘National Hero’ today is not justified and will further estrange a variety of groups from Prabowo, who cannot afford to lose their support. The President is painting himself in the proverbial corner.

Mamdani’s win in NY and the successful way forward he has shaped will raise the profile of Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez as a possible winner in the Presidential race of 2028. Consequently, we can expect increased attacks on AOC from Trump and Republicans, which may go well beyond what is legitimate.

My take on the Dutch elections: 6) D66 and CDA have won the elections and are certain of being in the new Cabinet, but they depend on VVD and PvdA&GL. Joining a coalition with JA21 will be suicidal for both of them, and create a weak government that will further undermine democracy

My take on the Dutch elections: 5) the formation of a Cabinet will depend on to what extent the VVD will want to continue to identify with the far-right and whether new leadership in PvdA&GL will be humble enough to accept what will look to them like a weak compromise to join with D66, CDA and VVD

My take on the Dutch elections: 4) many observers have already pointed at the continuity in the strength of the far-right, despite Wilders’ loss. The right is more fragmented, that’s all

My take on the Dutch elections: 3) the outcome of the fusion between PvdA&GL is questionable, considering they lost 5 seats. The leader, Frans Timmermans, stepped back, but there was no reflection on why the performance disappointed and what mistakes were made, including by Timmermans himself

My take on the Dutch elections: 2) the ‘experiment’ of an extra parliamentary Cabinet under Dick Schoof has failed. All four parties who supported this coalition lost, PVV, BBB and NSC strongly, the VVD the least (2 seats). But also for the VVD a poor show, considering how much they lost last time.

My take on the Dutch elections: 1) the rise and fall of the NSC party (from nothing to 20 seats during the last election and back to 0 now) shows that ‘parties’ build around charismatic leaders are incapable to govern. NSC (Pieter Omtzigt) and PVV (Wilders) are the same in this regard

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East Timor becoming a member of ASEAN is an important step forward for a nation that still needs a lot of work and deserves our support bsky.app/profile/alja...

The Dutch elections are two weeks away. Polls are indicating continued fragmentation of Parliament. It seems the support of at least four political parties will be needed to form a new Government.

Indonesia’s unique relationship with North Korea is among its most underrated international assets. Indonesia, North Korea renew ties in first ministerial visit in 12 years www.thejakartapost.com/world/2025/1...

Meanwhile, the politics in the Netherlands continue to slide into a danger zone of increasing rightwing violence. Even though the number of asylum seekers has drastically decreased, the centers for asylum seekers (AZC) are now used as rallying points for mopped up anger and political mobilization.

Sri Mulyani has now stepped down as Indonesian Minister of Finance. End of an era.

Very sad to see the house of Indonesian Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani, being violated and looted.

I hope the situation in Indonesia will calm down soon. Violence is terrible and nothing good will come out of it. I wish the sobering impact of grievances being articulated so forcefully will enlarge space for the plenty of people in- and outside the government who care about the country.

The agenda of the protesters in Indonesia is formulated on the go on TikTok. Academics who study social movements will have a field day researching the current events.

The Indonesian elite is in panic mode, because of the widespread unrest throughout the country.

The victim of police brutality in Indonesia today is a sad indication of an increasingly weak government

Focusing on #ASEAN's approach to #Migration and #HumanTrafficking, I argue that adoption can be facilitated in non-democratic settings through two mechanisms: depoliticisation and joint ownership. I further propose a new analytical framework showing how each process unfolds. 2/2

We are surrounded by an increasing amount of misinformation and lies to confuse and manipulate our knowledge, our political preferences and what we consume. It is very important to fact-check and pushback this mountain of nonsense. If we lose the fight over the truth, we will lose life.

One of the lesser noticed developments in Indonesia is the gradual erosion of the position of Sri Mulyani, Minister of Finance. She was crying in parliament the other day, over defending a budget that is increasingly less of her making. Her sense of responsibility might soon reach the finish line.

Former Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Kwik Kian Gie, passed (90years). A wonderful man, sharp mind, Alumni of Erasmus University, fluent in Dutch. I remember him particularly as the founding father of the ‘Studeren in Nederland (StuNed)’ scholarship programme managed by Nuffic