Wilopo

Wilopo
Official portrait, 1958
7th Prime Minister of Indonesia
In office 3 April 1952 – 30 July 1953
President	Sukarno
Deputy	Prawoto Mangkusasmito
Preceded by	Soekiman Wirjosandjojo
Succeeded by	Ali Sastroamidjojo
Ministerial offices Minister of Defense Ad interim In office 2 June – 1 August 1953 Preceded by Hamengkubuwono IX Succeeded by Iwa Kusumasumantri Minister of Foreign Affairs Ad interim In office 3 April – 29 April 1952 Preceded by Achmad Soebardjo Succeeded by Mukarto Notowidigdo 9th Minister of Economic Affairs In office 16 July 1951 – 3 April 1952 Preceded by Sujono Hadinoto Succeeded by Soemanang 4th Minister of Labor In office 20 December 1949 – 21 January 1950 Preceded by Koesnan Succeeded by Soeroso
Legislative offices Speaker of the Constitutional Assembly In office 20 November 1956 – 5 July 1959 Member of the Constitutional Assembly In office 9 November 1956 – 5 July 1959 Member of the House of Representatives In office 24 March – 1 December 1956
Advisory offices Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council In office 4 March 1968 – 31 March 1978 Member of the Supreme Advisory Council In office 4 March 1968 – 31 March 1978
Personal details
Born	(1909-08-21)21 August 1909 Purworejo, Kedu Residency, Dutch East Indies
Died	1 June 1981(1981-06-01) (aged 71) Jakarta, Indonesia
Resting place	Tanah Kusir Cemetery
Political party	Partindo (1932–1936) Gerindo (1937–1942) PNI (1946–1973) PDI (1973–1981)
Spouse	Soemikalimah ​ (m. 1937)​
Alma mater	Rechts Hogeschool (Mr.)
Occupation	Politician lawyer

Wilopo (21 October 1909 – 1 June 1981) was an Indonesian politician and lawyer. A capable administrator, he served as prime minister of Indonesia from 1952 to 1953. He also held various other positions during his career, including as Minister of Labor, Minister of Economic Affairs, speaker of the Constitutional Assembly, and chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council.

Born into a Muslim family in Purworejo, Wilopo attended the Rechts Hogeschool in Batavia (now Jakarta), during which time he became involved in educational and nationalist groups. After graduating, he worked as a lawyer and was active in the Indonesian nationalist movement, becoming involved in the Partindo and Gerindo political parties. During the Japanese occupation period (1942–1945), Wilopo became an official in the occupation government and was a figure in both the Putera and Suishintai organizations. Following the proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945, Wilopo joined the newly formed Republican government, first as an aide to Jakarta Mayor Suwiryo, and then as a member of the Central Indonesian National Committee. During the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949), he joined the Indonesian National Party (PNI) and became Junior Minister of Labor in 1947.

Following the recognition of sovereignty in the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference, in which he took part, Wilopo was appointed Minister of Labor by Prime Minister Mohammad Hatta in 1949. He also emerged as a leader in the Indonesian National Party (PNI) and became Minister of Economic Affairs in the Soekiman Cabinet. In 1952, following a foreign policy debacle, the Soekiman Cabinet fell and Wilopo was appointed formateur of a new cabinet by President Sukarno. He opted to form a new cabinet consisting of pro-Western technocrats with unity, a common policy orientation, and the support of the PNI and Masyumi Party, even though both parties were unenthusiastic partners.

As prime minister, Wilopo presided over a realignment of political forces as the PNI grew increasingly wary of the Masyumi, the Nahdlatul Ulama split off from the Masyumi, and the Communist Party (PKI) re-entered the political scene. His premiership was also marked by a succession of crises, including an economic crisis and a show of force by the Indonesian Army, which opposed his cabinet's demobilization scheme, culminating in the downfall of his cabinet over a land dispute in North Sumatra. Afterward, Wilopo continued to serve in public office, serving as speaker of the Constitutional Assembly (1956–1959) and chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council (1968–1978). He died in Jakarta in 1981.