The Future Is Bright for Europe, Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Giacomo Tognini,  May 23, 2014

According to data from the Ministry of Manpower, 6,351 Europeans currently
call Indonesia their temporary home. (JG Photo/Boy T. Harjanto)

Jakarta. Indonesians and Europeans don’t always get along. When asked how they felt about one another, one source asserted that “British people keep to themselves,” while another exclaimed that “Indonesians are rude.” Stereotypes abound whenever diverse cultures meet, even in the supposedly globalized world we live in today. Indonesia and Europe are no exception, yet trade, travel, and cooperation between the two continue to grow.

The two cultures made contact for the first time when Portuguese explorers reached the Sunda Kingdom in 1512, leading to centuries of Dutch and Portuguese colonization of the archipelago. Nowadays, an estimated 6,351 Europeans live in Indonesia, 13.8 percent of all the expatriate residing in the country, according to a May 10 report from the Ministry of Manpower and Transportation.

While the history between the two is hardly pleasant, Indonesia’s rapid economic development and the advent of the European Union have led to strengthened ties and increased cultural exchange. According to a December 2013 report by the Indonesia Diaspora Network, 185,512 Indonesians make the Old Continent their home, in addition to approximately 700,000 people of mixed or Indonesian descent in the Netherlands.

In the post-war era, Europeans arrived to work in diplomacy and Indonesia’s expanding industries, and many more traveled to experience its natural and cultural wonders. Conversely, some Indonesians emigrated to seek a better life in Europe during economic trouble at home.

Whereas Europeans continue to come to Indonesia for the same reasons, today people increasingly move in the opposite direction for higher education. The European Union’s recent push to attract more foreign students to study in its renowned universities by providing scholarships through its Erasmus Mundus education outreach program has been successful. Around 7,000 Indonesians studied in the EU as of 2013, many of whom receive financial aid from the European Commission.

However, a clear cultural divide remains between Indonesians and Europeans across the continent.

“I definitely love living here, but I have to say it takes a lot of effort to make friends,” said an Indonesian student in London. “My closest friends here aren’t British.”

When it comes to other nationalities, she had a different perspective: “French people are a bit condescending, I feel like Italians are the friendlier bunch.”

Europeans in Jakarta mention a similar experience adapting to their host culture.

“We have a completely different mentality because we are separated by centuries of history,” said an Italian woman who has lived in Indonesia for a year. While she admires the natural beauty of the country, she “cannot stand the traffic that paralyzes this city and the complete lack of respect for the environment.”

The EU and the Indonesian government have long collaborated on a variety of bilateral projects to aid in the resolution of significant issues. The Blue Book on EU-Indonesian Development Cooperation published in 2013 outlines six areas of partnership: education, economic cooperation, the environment and climate change, good governance and human rights, disaster preparedness and conflict prevention and health, water and sanitation. Many of these target specific regions of the island nation that require more help in certain areas and less in others to maximize efficiency.

Along with the EU as a whole, Indonesia is among the members of the G-20, an organization that represents the world’s 20 largest economies. Indonesia is now the 10th largest, as revealed in a World Bank report published in 2014. As a result of Indonesia’s growing economic clout, the EU is seeking a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a deep free trade agreement. The union was Indonesia’s second largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) behind Japan in statistics released by the Indonesia Investment Coordination Board in 2012, although it has fallen in the rankings since due to slower yearly increases of investment compared to South Korea and Singapore.

As the second-largest democracy and the world’s largest Muslim nation, Indonesia has tremendous geopolitical importance. This is likely to increase, given the archipelago’s strategic location in a region witnessing the ascent of China and India. Europe is taking note: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited at least four European countries in his second term, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Indonesia between 2012 and 2013. These are signs of the country’s rise as an influential player in the international arena.

In the future, a continent emerging from an economic crisis and still searching for its place in a global chessboard dominated by the United States and China could gain from increased cooperation with a nation seeking a role commensurate to its massive demographic and economic expansion.

The two have much to learn from one another. Sarah Braga, a Portuguese-Luxembourg student in Jakarta, believes that “Europe has become a very individualistic region, whereas in Indonesia it’s more about a sense of community.”

“Indonesians are a people that know how to laugh and be happy even in times of difficulty,” said an Italian resident of Jakarta. “This is something that Europeans should learn from.”

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