ARGUING PRESIDENT SUBIANTO’S NARRATIVE ON OPPOSITION: BETWEEN ANDERSON, MACHIAVELLI, AND BOURDIEU’S CAPITAL

Azzumar Adhitia Santika; Ari Santoso Widodo

doi:10.32528/mediakom.v9i02.5111

Authors

Azzumar Adhitia Santika Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa
Ari Santoso Widodo LSPR Institute of Communication and Business

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32528/mediakom.v9i02.5111

Keywords:

Benedict Anderson, Nicollo Machiavell, Opposition, Political Public Relations, Prabowo Subianto

Abstract

President Prabowo Subianto stressed that the concept of opposition originates from Western culture and is not part of Indonesia’s political culture framework, a statement made during his early months as president. To reflect this view, he formed a large cabinet, even appointing a former presidential election rival as a coordinating minister. This observation study re-examines Prabowo’s assertion by analyzing it through Benedict Anderson’s perspective on the concept of Power in Javanese culture, Niccolò Machiavelli’s teachings on political power, and also Pierre Bourdieu's Theory of Capital. The findings reveal that Prabowo’s statement aligns with Anderson’s view, which posits that Power in Javanese culture is absolute, leaving little room for opposition. Similarly, Machiavelli, a prominent Western philosopher, advocates securing power without interference, opposing the concept of opposition to maintain sovereignty. These findings challenge Prabowo’s claim that opposition is solely a Western concept. Furthermore, the authors argue that Prabowo’s political narrative is inseparable from the accumulation of capital he possesses—particularly cultural, social, and symbolic capital—as framed by Pierre Bourdieu’s framework, rather than a genuinely rooted and robust political philosophy. Therefore, we argue that his statement serves as a political public relations strategy to legitimize his expansive cabinet and consolidate power.

References

Andayani, D. (2019, March 30). Prabowo: Saya lebih TNI dari banyak TNI. Detik. https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4490504/prabowo-saya-lebih-tni-dari-banyak-tni

Anderson, Benedict R. O’G. Language and Power: Exploring Political Cultures in Indonesia. The Wilder House Series in Politics, History, and Culture. Cornell

University Press, 1990.

Basyari, I., Harbowo, N., Anugrahanto, N., Salam, H., & Ritonga, M. W. (2025, August 12). Presiden Prabowo minta parpol koalisi berani mengkritik pemerintah. Kompas. https://www.kompas.id/artikel/prabowo-minta-parpol-koalisi-berani- mengkritik- pemerintah?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=soc_hari ankompas_polhuk_traffic

Benarrivo, R. (2024). From minister to president: Mearsheimerism in Indonesia's defense diplomacy under Prabowo Subianto administration. Jurnal Dinamika Global, 9(2),224–240. https://ejournal.fisip.unjani.ac.id/index.php/jurnal-dinamika- global/article/view/3030

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste (R. Nice, Trans.). Harvard University Press. (Original work published 1979)

Bourdieu, P. (1985). The social space and the genesis of groups. Theory and Society, 14(6), 723–744. http://www.jstor.org/stable/657373

Campos, A. S. (2025). The negative legislator: Machiavelli’s popular epistemocracy in the Discourses on Livy. Jus Cogens, 7, 75–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42439- 025-00103-z

CNN Indonesia. (2024, February 25). Real count KPU 63 persen: PDIP menang, PKB masuk empat besar. CNN Indonesia. https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20240225075804-617-1066950/real- count-kpu-63-persen-pdip-menang-pkb-masuk-empat-besar

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Pearson.

Detik. (2024, October 24). Kata-kata Prabowo soal kabinet berisi 48 menteri dianggap besar. Detik. https://news.detik.com/berita/d-7603707/kata-kata-prabowo-soal- kabinet-berisi-48-menteri-dianggap-besar

Di Pierro, M. (2023). Niccolò Machiavelli. In Claude Lefort's political philosophy (pp. 103–126). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36378- 8_6

Dirgantara, A., & Prabowo, D. (2024, October 22). Prabowo resmi umumkan Gibran Rakabuming Raka jadi cawapres. Kompas. https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2023/10/22/19422101/prabowo-resmi- umumkan-gibran-rakabuming-raka-jadi-cawapres

Efriza, & Suryadinata, R. (2022). Analisis perbandingan pengelolaan koalisi dan kinerja kepemimpinan antara Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dan Presiden Joko Widodo. Jurnal Adhikari, 2(2), 341–353. https://doi.org/10.53968/ja.v2i2.69

Erwanti, M. O. (2019, October 24). Jokowi: Di Indonesia tak ada oposisi, demokrasi kita gotong royong. Detik. https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4758805/jokowi-di- indonesia-tak-ada-oposisi-demokrasi-kita-gotong-royong

Fathonah, A. (2024, October 25). Petualangan politik Cak Imin, rival di pilpres hingga jadi menteri Prabowo. Tempo. https://nasional.tempo.co/read/1933083/petualangan-politik-cak-imin-rival-di- pilpres-hingga-jadi-menteri-prabowo

Grusendorf, S. (2016). Bourdieu’s field, capital, and habitus in religion. Journal for the Sociological Integration of Religion and Society, 6(1), 1–13. https://sociologyandchristianity.org/index.php/jsc/search/search

Guritno, T., & Rastika, I. (2023, July 6). Jokowi, dari rival, kini jadi mentor dan konsultan politik Prabowo. Kompas. https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2023/07/06/06464051/jokowi-dari-rival-kini- jadi-mentor-dan-konsultan-politik-prabowo

Habir, M., & Negara, S. D. (2025). Prabowo’s first 100 days and beyond as president: A security-focused economic agenda. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 61(1), 3–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00074918.2025.2483310

Hamid, R. A. (2025). Indonesia’s political shifts: From opposition to coalition in 2014– 2024 elections. Jurnal Ilmu Kepolisian, 19(1), 121–135. https://doi.org/10.35879/jik.v19i1.620

Helms, L. (2021). Introduction: The nature of political opposition in contemporary electoral democracies and autocracies. European Political Science, 20, 569–579. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41304-021-00323-z

Komisi Pemilihan Umum. (2023, October 19). Bakal capres-cawapres, Anies-Muhaimin daftar ke KPU. KPU. https://www.kpu.go.id/berita/baca/12005/bakal-capres- cawapres-anies-muhaimin-daftar-ke-kpu

Kriyantono, R. (2017). Teori-teori public relations perspektif barat dan lokal: Aplikasi penelitian dan praktik (2nd ed.). Kencana Prenada Media.

Kurniawan, W. (2024, September 21). Pemerintahan Prabowo berpotensi koalisi gemuk: Apa jadinya negara tanpa oposisi? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/pemerintahan-prabowo-berpotensi-koalisi-gemuk- apa-jadinya-negara-tanpa-oposisi-232926

Kuswarno, E. (2013). Manajemen komunikasi pengemis. Dalam D. Mulyana & Solatun (Eds.), Metode penelitian komunikasi: Contoh-contoh penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan praktis (Cetakan ke-3). PT Remaja Rosdakarya.

Lucchese, F. D. (2014). Machiavelli and constituent power: The revolutionary foundation of modern political thought. European Journal of Political Theory, 16(1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474885114544911

Machiavelli, N. (2004). Discourse on the first decade of Titus Livius (N. H. Thomson, Trans.). Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10827

Machiavelli, N. (2006). The Prince (W. K. Marriott, Trans.). Project Gutenberg. (Original work published 1532) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232

Martono, N. (2012). Kekerasan simbolik di sekolah: Sebuah ide sosiologi pendidikan Pierre Bourdieu. Rajawali Pers.

Metro TV. (2024, May 24). Prabowo: Kalau tak mau kerja sama, jangan ganggu! [Video].

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPkQoqeUSvo

Mubin, I. S. (2023). Pandangan hukum dan HAM Joko Widodo dan Prabowo Subianto pada debat capres pertama 2019: Sebuah analisis wacana kritis Norman Fairclough. Prosiding Konferensi Linguistik Tahunan Atma Jaya 21, 150–155.

Muhid, H. K. (2025, July 26). Mahfud MD bilang kasus Tom Lembong terkesan dipolitisasi. Tempo. https://www.tempo.co/hukum/mahfud-md-bilang-kasus- tom-lembong-terkesan-dipolitisasi-2051166

Muliawati, A. (2024a, August 27). Prabowo sebut oposisi bukan budaya RI: Kita harus kerja sama, kolaborasi. Detik. https://news.detik.com/berita/d-7511967/prabowo- sebut-oposisi-bukan-budaya-ri-kita-harus-kerja-sama-kolaborasi

Muliawati, A. (2024b, October 16). NasDem tegaskan sepenuh hati ke Prabowo meski tak ada kader dipanggil. Detik. https://news.detik.com/berita/d-7590835/nasdem- tegaskan-sepenuh-hati-ke-prabowo-meski-tak-ada-kader-dipanggil

Nielsen, T. (2025, August 4). Prabowo Subianto: From general to president, the rise of Indonesia’s new strongman. Seven Stones Indonesia. https://sevenstonesindonesia.com/blog/prabowo-subianto-from-general-to- president-the-rise-of-indonesias-new-strongman/

Nugrahaeny, D. E., & Meiliana, D. (2024, April 13). Silaturahmi politik Prabowo lewat momen Idul Fitri dan belum pastinya sikap PDI-P. Kompas. https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2024/04/13/08034011/silaturahmi-politik- prabowo-lewat-momen-idul-fitri-dan-belum-pastinya-sikap?page=all

Nugroho, N. A. (2024, August 28). Prabowo sebut oposisi bukan budaya Indonesia, ajak elite partai kolaborasi. Tempo. https://nasional.tempo.co/read/1909344/prabowo- sebut-oposisi-bukan-budaya-indonesia-ajak-elite-partai-kolaborasi

Panuju, R. (2019). The comparison of Jokowi and Prabowo Subianto exposed on YouTube. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, 22(3), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.22146/jsp.33172

Pratama, M. I., & Annissa, J. (2021). Analisis framing berita terpilihnya Prabowo Subianto sebagai Menteri Pertahanan pada masa Kabinet Kerja Presiden Jokowi periode 2019–2024. Propaganda, 1(1), 35–43. https://doi.org/10.37010/prop.v1i1.255

Putri, D. L., & Nugroho, R. S. (2024, April 24). Jejak Prabowo di pilpres, akhirnya jadi presiden usai 3 kali kalah. Kompas. https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2024/04/24/120804065/jejak-prabowo-di- pilpres-akhirnya-jadi-presiden-usai-3-kali-kalah?page=all

Qodar, N. (2024, April 25). HEADLINE: KPU tetapkan Prabowo-Gibran presiden dan wapres terpilih 2024–2029, merangkul yang kalah? Liputan 6. https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/5580495/headline-kpu-tetapkan-prabowo- gibran-presiden-dan-wapres-terpilih-2024-2029-merangkul-yang-kalah?page=3

Qomariyah, N. (2023). Perspektif ideologi dan kekuasaan (Telaah historis pemikiran Niccolò Machiavelli). Herodotus: Jurnal Pendidikan IPS, 6(3), 352–360. https://doi.org/10.30998/herodotus.v6i3.15729

Quaglioni, D. (2014). Machiavelli, the Prince and the idea of justice. Italian Culture, 32(2), 110–121. https://doi.org/10.1179/0161462214Z.00000000027

Richardus, W. N. C. (2020). Ruang sosial Bourdieusian. In W. Udasmoro (Ed.), Gerak kuasa: Politik wacana, identitas, dan ruang/waktu dalam bingkai kajian budaya dan media (pp. 293–316). KPG (Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia).

Rishan, I. (2020). Risiko koalisi gemuk dalam sistem presidensial di Indonesia. Jurnal Hukum IUS Quia Iustum, 2(7), 219–240.

Safitri, R. D. (2024, October 28). Prabowo sebut oposisi budaya Barat: Kalau RI dapat berkolaborasi. Tirto. https://tirto.id/prabowo-sebut-oposisi-budaya-barat-kalau- ri-dapat-berkolaborasi-g3az

Saini, A. (2024, October 20). Prabowo umumkan susunan menteri, dinamai Kabinet Merah Putih. BBC Indonesia. https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/c70z2q77p2wo

Santika, A. A. (2024). Studi kasus pesan perlawanan Jokowi dalam Pilpres 2024: Perspektif tir dan etika Jawa. Common, 8(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3410/common.v8i1.12560

Sari, H. P., & Belarminus, R. (2025, July 21). Pakar hukum: Kasus Tom Lembong dan Hasto adalah persidangan dengan motif politik. Kompas. https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2025/07/21/14191091/pakar-hukum-kasus- tom-lembong-dan-hasto-adalah-persidangan-dengan-motif

Sari, H. P., & Maullana, I. (2024, October 12). PKS merapat ke Prabowo, sinyal masuk kabinet Prabowo Gibran? Kompas. https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2024/10/12/08210371/pks-merapat-ke- prabowo-sinyal-masuk-kabinet-prabowo-gibran

Satriawan, B. H., & Purwaningsih, T. (2021). Political marketing Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno in the 2019 presidential election. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, 25(2), 127–143. https://doi.org/10.22146/jsp.53688

Shihab, N. (2025, August 13). Tom Lembong bicara abolisi, Prabowo & Jokowi: Mungkin pendukung saya kesal dengar ini | Mata Najwa [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1O_kFeuHzE

Trantidis, A. (2017). The problem of constitutional legitimation: What the debate on electoral quotas tells us about the legitimacy of decision-making rules in constitutional choice. Constitutional Political Economy, 28(2), 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10602-016-9233-7

TvOneNews. (2024, October 15). Soal kabinet gemuk, Prabowo: Negara kita besar bung!| Kabar Petang tvOne [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKzWHGi7oIU

Viroli, M. (2017). Realism and prophecy in Machiavelli and in Italian political culture. The Italianist, 37(3), 308–323. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614340.2017.1409311

Widodo, A. S., & Dhani, R. (2023). When the president endorses the nation’s next leader: Detecting the concept of power in Javanese culture through presidential communication. WARTA Ikatan Sarjana Komunikasi Indonesia, 6(1), 94–106.

Wolfendale, J. (2007). Obedience in the military. In Torture and the military profession (pp. 77–97). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230592803_5