Neither promoting nor projecting democracy: Indonesia's middlepowermanship in the Bali democracy forum under Joko Widodo.

This article examines the continued existence of the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) under Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), despite his pragmatic foreign policy and the country's democratic decline. It argues that Jokowi does not use the BDF to promote democracy abroad, unlike his predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, but rather to assert Indonesia's leadership role in multilateral forums as part of its middle power diplomacy. Indonesia's middle power status, characterized by leadership in regional multilateralism, bridge-building, and support for international order, is a stable element of its foreign policy that transcends individual presidential preferences. The BDF thus serves less as a tool for democracy promotion and more as a means to preserve Indonesia's international status and reputation as a responsible regional leader. This challenges explanations of Indonesian foreign policy that focus primarily on elite or individual leader traits, emphasizing instead the importance of state-level identity and role conceptions.