Prabowo Adds Austria, Hungary to European Tour After France Visit

Following his engagements in France, President Prabowo Subianto is extending his European state visit to include Austria and Hungary, bringing the total number of countries visited to three. This tour underscores Indonesia's commitment to a proactive and independent foreign policy, as articulated by Gerindra Party spokesperson Sugiat Santoso.

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There are three European countries that President Prabowo will visit at the end of May 2026: France, Austria, and Hungary. These three countries have strategic positions that Indonesia needs.

"There are three European countries that President Prabowo will visit at the end of May 2026: France, Austria, and Hungary. These three countries have strategic positions that Indonesia needs," Santoso stated. He emphasized that Prabowo is actively pursuing a "free and active" political principle through diplomacy, aiming to build high-level trust, particularly with France, to gain access to advanced military technology. Santoso noted that France's willingness to share such technology is not solely based on a country's financial capacity, positioning Indonesia's approach as distinct from reliance on the United States or China.

In Austria, Prabowo's visit is geared towards exploring opportunities in the manufacturing industry, a key sector in Central Europe. Meanwhile, the stop in Hungary is strategically focused on securing Indonesia's position within the European electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. "A visit to Hungary means locking Indonesia's position in the battery supply chain in Europe, through the most open door," Santoso explained. This aligns with Indonesia's significant global nickel reserves, a critical component for EV batteries.

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A visit to Hungary means locking Indonesia's position in the battery supply chain in Europe, through the most open door.

Santoso cautioned against short-term assessments of the diplomatic outcomes, stating that the true benefits, including commitment building, technology transfer, and investment, will manifest over the long term. He described the marathon visits as a calculated tactical move to secure investment and downstream processing opportunities. The president's bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on May 28, 2026, focused on strategic issues, including the potential Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA).

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Assessing the success of international diplomacy from the results of a few weeks or months is an illogical way of thinking.