Jakarta. Senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Puan Maharani downplayed tensions between her party and former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, insisting the relationship remains intact despite a year of political upheaval.

“Always warm, always,” Puan said Friday while attending a fast-breaking event hosted by the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) at its headquarters in Jakarta on Friday.

Her remarks come amid lingering speculation about a deepening divide between PDI-P and Jokowi, particularly after the party formally expelled him in December 2024 along with his son, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and his son-in-law, Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution. The split followed a drawn-out power struggle that escalated when Jokowi’s tacit support for Prabowo Subianto in the 2024 presidential election cost PDI-P’s candidate, Ganjar Pranowo, the race.

Puan, however, dismissed suggestions that her attendance at the Nasdem event was an attempt to mend ties. She said she was unaware that Jokowi would also be present. “I only found out [about Jokowi’s attendance] when I got here,” she told reporters. “I came because of Pak Surya Paloh’s invitation.”

Jokowi arrived at Nasdem Tower at 5:08 p.m., with Puan entering the venue ten minutes later. Despite speculation, Jokowi believed that his relationship with Megawati would remain intact.

"In the future, I think everything will be fine," former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said after attending a fast-breaking event hosted by the Nasdem Party at Nasdem Tower in Gondangdia, Central Jakarta, on Friday (March 21, 2025).

When asked about the possibility of meeting Megawati soon, Jokowi said he had no plans yet.

Despite Puan’s assurances, relations between Jokowi and PDI-P have been rocky since 2023, when party chair Megawati Soekarnoputri remarked that Jokowi would be politically vulnerable without PDI-P’s backing. The former president’s subsequent maneuvering—including his refusal to endorse Ganjar and his apparent support for Prabowo—only widened the rift. Megawati, who strongly opposed extending presidential term limits, reportedly saw Jokowi’s pivot as an act of disloyalty.

The divide culminated in Jokowi’s ouster from PDI-P last year, yet the former president struck a conciliatory tone in January, congratulating the party on its 52nd anniversary. Whether his message was an olive branch or a mere formality remains unclear.

For Puan, the focus now is on moving forward. Earlier this week, she urged all sides to drop divisive narratives. “Let’s end this speculation. Let’s stop the unnecessary division and suspicion,” she said at the House of Representatives on Monday. She called for national unity, emphasizing that rebuilding Indonesia requires collective effort.

Ramadan, she added, should be a time for reflection rather than political infighting. “It’s a moment to think positively and build the nation together,” she said. But whether PDI-P and Jokowi can truly reconcile remains an open question.

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