Their victory as the elected successors to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin was influenced by various factors, notably the continuity narrative that the Prabowo-Gibran pair campaigned on to carry on with the strategic programs of the Jokowi administration.

It is no wonder that many voters were drawn to this narrative. Indirectly, this continuity narrative positioned Prabowo as “Jokowi 3.0”, and he was seen as the best candidate to sustain the legacy of Jokowi, who has consistently boasted a public approval rating of above 75 percent this year.

The continuity narrative also reassured the business community of minimal changes, providing stability for businesses that thrived over the past decade.

However, will Prabowo truly adhere to his continuity narrative once he is inaugurated?

First of all, the continuity slogan often seems overrated. Development programs in democratic countries usually continue those of their predecessors, despite new leaders emphasizing their signature programs.

For instance, even though Jokowi never publicly stated that he would continue his predecessor's policies, his infrastructure drive continued the infrastructure development program of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), albeit with different focuses and scales. SBY's infrastructure development program primarily centered on electricity infrastructure, with significant developments in power plant projects and a substantial increase in electricity supply.