Economics and international affairs, from Indonesia
Read the world beyond the headlines.
Global news moves fast. Behind every headline is a power game, and we show you the moves.
- 01
Economics
Trade, finance, and the money behind political decisions.
- 02
Politics
Power, diplomacy, and the interests driving state behavior.
- 03
Security
Conflict, alliances, and the shifting balance of global power.
- Trade policy
- ASEAN
- Indo-Pacific
- Multilateral institutions
- Energy security
- Critical minerals
- Monetary policy
- Development finance
- Maritime disputes
- Food security
The challenge
Headlines tell you what happened. Rarely why.
News cycles reward speed. Decisions on tariffs, alliances, and interest rates get reduced to a single line, and the interests behind them disappear.
For readers in Indonesia, the local stakes are often missing altogether.
Why irfolks
Slower reading for a faster world.
We write long enough to explain and short enough to finish. Every piece starts from a question, works through the evidence, and ends with what it means for Indonesia.
More about irfolks
How we explain
Three steps behind every piece.
- 01
Context
We trace an event back to the history, data, and decisions that set it in motion.
- 02
Interests of the actors
Every government, firm, and institution wants something. We name who gains, who loses, and why.
- 03
Impact on people
We end with what it means for prices, jobs, and daily life, with Indonesia always in view.
Featured analysis
Questions we are working through.
Why do some trade deals reshape alliances?
How tariff schedules and market access end up redrawing who stands with whom.
Placeholder until the first post is publishedWhat does ASEAN centrality mean when great powers disagree?
The limits of consensus diplomacy when the region’s partners pull in different directions.
Placeholder until the first post is publishedHow does energy security shape Indonesia’s foreign policy?
Fuel imports, nickel exports, and the quiet calculations behind official statements.
Placeholder until the first post is published
Analysis lenses
One question at a time.
Economics
Who pays when tariffs rise, and who quietly benefits?
Politics
What does each government need to be seen saying at home?
Security
Which risks are real, and which are rhetoric?
Start here