Old friend Bernard between Jokowi and wife Irina
“Let me introduce you to Bernard, the man who first coined the name Jokowi,” said First Lady Iriana Widodo to journalists at her home on Sunday.
To journalists, Bernard said he has known Jokowi for 21 years ever since when Jokowi was a furniture trader. Bernard was Jokowi’s loyal customer, buying Indonesian furniture and selling them in his native France.
Why did this bule shorten Joko Widodo’s name then?
“The name Joko Widodo is tough to pronounce for someone like me. So I shortened it to Jokowi. It’s nice and simple,” said Bernard.
According to Bernard, Jokowi has not changed from 21 years ago, even though Jokowi is now the president of the third largest democratic country in the world.
“To me, he isn’t a politician. He’s a natural born leader. Simple, smart, and he thinks many steps ahead,” said Bernard.
Bernard and Jokowi have a strong, enduring friendship. Bernard visits Jakarta from time to time, just like this time, as he witnesses his friend inaugurated as the 7th President of Indonesia today.
Source: Warta Kota
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