The Economist; Indonesia, the biggest Muslim-majority country, is on a risky path; Överskottsmålet,

 Prabowo Subianto is eroding its finances—and its democracy

He must cut spending on his pet projects, or on Indonesia’s colossal fossil-fuel subsidies, or break a law that caps the budget deficit at 3% of GDP. 

Each option comes with risks. To cut his pet boondoggles would make him look weak. To let energy prices rise would invite unrest. So Mr Prabowo may take the third path: letting the deficit breach its legal limit.

That would be a mistake. 

True, the 3% limit is an arbitrary figure copy-and-pasted from Europe’s Maastricht treaty. But since the crisis of 1998 it has signalled that Indonesia’s government is serious about fiscal discipline. 

The Economist May 14th 2026

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/05/14/indonesia-the-biggest-muslim-majority-country-is-on-a-risky-path

Överskottsmålets födelse, liv och död i Sverige och Tyskland

https://englundmacro.blogspot.com/2025/03/historien-om-det-finanspolitiska.html

Jakarta, the fastest-sinking megacity on the planet.

https://englundmacro.blogspot.com/2023/12/jakarta-fastest-sinking-megacity-on.html

15 maj