Jokowi’s Lampung political safari sparks PSI boost and controversy

President Joko Widodo began a political safari in Lampung on 27‑28 June 2026, meeting PSI leaders at regional coordination meetings, visiting a UMKM centre in Maliosewu, and attending a traditional ceremony where he stepped on a buffalo head while wearing a PSI‑branded shirt. He said of the shirt, “If someone is wearing it, they know it themselves.”

The visit was used by PSI to accelerate its consolidation, with a Rakorda that saw former regional heads and politicians from other parties receive PSI jackets from party chief Kaesang Pangarep. New members included a former north‑Lampung regent, PPP officials and ex‑legislators, tightening PSI’s grassroots network ahead of the 2029 elections.

Jokowi also met his former university classmate at a pesantren, and toured the Maliosewu UMKM hub, emphasizing personal outreach to citizens and small‑business owners.

Analysts warned the safari could hurt the national economy, citing potential political distraction during a volatile foreign‑exchange environment. Golkar’s secretary‑general called Jokowi’s support for PSI a legitimate political choice, while PDIP officials criticised the buffalo‑head gesture as a symbolic display of power consolidation.