Abstract

A new nationalist mood is visible in I ndonesia, expressed in increasingly bellicose rejection of alleged foreign interference in I ndonesia's affairs and in demands for greater international recognition of I ndonesia's power and status. This new mood has been visible for several years, but became particularly marked during the 2014 presidential election and under the new J oko W idodo administration. This article analyses I ndonesia's new nationalism, especially as manifested in economic, cultural and territorial spheres, noting both continuities with past episodes, and novel features. A chief novelty is contemporary nationalism's markedly non‐ideological and non‐intellectual form; continuity is visible in its discursive style, with many contemporary nationalists anachronistically reproducing tropes rooted in earlier periods. The article concludes by identifying forces driving the contemporary resurgence of nationalism, notably the effects of democratisation as well as deeper feelings of insecurity about I ndonesia's achievements.