The Monocle Minute

Politics is a grubby business and, after a decade in power, Indonesia’s outgoing president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, has got used to getting his hands dirty. For two terms he has made deals with Jakarta’s political dynasties to get his infrastructure projects and economic reforms over the line. He has achieved some remarkable results, though at times he has accepted some unspeakable trade-offs. The former small-town mayor’s crowning glory was winning approval to build Nusantara, a new capital city on the island of Borneo, which will replace Jakarta as it gradually sinks below sea level. It is a huge task that had been left sitting in the in-tray of every Indonesian president before him.

Later this year, in one of his last major acts as president, Jokowi is expected to preside over Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations at the future capital, which is now under construction. But laying the foundations for Nusantara is one thing and completing the job is quite another. The coronavirus pandemic set things back by several years, leaving the new city in a precarious position as its champion edges towards the exit. The country votes today for its eighth president and the election is a three-horse race between former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and the favourite, defence minister Prabowo Subianto. The decision to continue with Nusantara or cancel it will ultimately fall to Jokowi’s successor.

While both Prabowo and Ganjar have dutifully vowed to continue Jokowi’s policies and projects, Anies has been more circumspect. He might even have campaigned to scrap “Jokowiville”, had he not been afraid of provoking the immensely popular and influential president. With Nusantara’s future on the line, Jokowi has effectively thrown his name behind his former rival Prabowo and allowed the law to be twisted so that the outgoing president’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, can run as vice-president.

The joint ticket is, at best, a step backwards. Prabowo is a relic of the past, who represents everything that is wrong with the existing order. Will Jokowi’s final grubby, legacy-defining deal be worth it? Today the Indonesian people will have their say.

James Chambers is Monocle’s Asia editor. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

South Korea’s first offshore airport will open by the end of 2029, the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has announced. Basic plans for the terminal at Busan’s Gadeok Island were outlined in December but the project has now been fast-tracked for completion five-and-a-half years before initially scheduled. The new airport is forecast to generate 29trn won (€20bn) for Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, and create more than 116,000 jobs.

Those seeking long-haul flights to destinations in North America or Europe will be able to fly directly from Busan, eliminating the need to travel to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport. While the passenger terminal will be built on land the airstrip, which will include a 3,500-metre-long runway able to accommodate large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400F, will be built on a floating structure at sea. Busan’s economy looks likely to land on safe waters.

Having hit a peak of €17.2bn in 2022, exports of French wine and spirits fell by almost 6 per cent to €16.2bn last year, according to newly released industry figures. Despite the dip, the country’s wine producers will be breathing a sigh of relief. The modest decrease, largely caused by inflation and temporary de-stocking by US distributors, represents a soft landing after the bonanza that followed the lifting of coronavirus pandemic restrictions around the world.

But long-term challenges remain. Over the past 60 years, wine consumption in France has plummeted by about 70 per cent. French producers depend on foreign sales and the US is their biggest market. With Donald Trump’s return to the White House becoming increasingly plausible, however, there’s a risk that wine will once again become a bargaining chip. In 2020 he imposed a punishing 25 per cent tariff on some European wines in response to an unrelated quarrel over EU aircraft subsidies. It’s enough to make you want to hit the bottle.

The southern French city of Avignon is internationally known for its annual summer culture festival. For more than half of the 14th century, it was also the seat of the Roman Catholic papacy. Avignon’s culinary reputation, however, is often overshadowed by Lyon and Marseille. In this episode, Monocle’s Michael Booth visits the Provençal city to unearth some of its specialities, which range from unique pastries and archaeological cheeses to a delicious lamb recipe.