| Eko Patrio | |
| Office: | Member of the House of Representatives |
| Term Start: | 1 October 2009 |
| Constituency: | East Java VIII (2009–2019) Jakarta I (2019–present) |
| Birthname: | Eko Hendro Purnomo |
| Birth Date: | 30 December 1970 |
| Birth Place: | Nganjuk, East Java, Indonesia |
| Party: | PAN |
Eko Hendro Purnomo (born 30 December 1970), better known as Eko Patrio, is an Indonesian politician and entertainer. He is currently a member of the House of Representatives, having served since 2009 representing East Java VIII (2009-2019) and Jakarta I (2019–present). Prior to entering politics, he was active as a comedian within the group.
Eko Hendro Purnomo was born on 30 December 1970 in Nganjuk, East Java.[1] He studied journalism at the, graduating in 1997.[2]
While studying in high school, Eko alongside two friends Tejo and Jejen founded a comedy group named Seboel. The group gained some success, featuring on radio shows and allowing Eko to meet several high-profile entertainers such as the Warkop group. When Tejo and Jejen left the group, Eko enlisted new members and, but eventually disbanded the group when Savalas left to become a solo entertainer. He founded a new group with Akri and in 1994. The group achieved national fame through the comedy show , which was aired on the TPI channel for over a decade.[3] [4] [5]
Outside of his entertainment career, Eko also owns cafes, salons, printing, advertising, and publishing companies.[6]
Eko has been involved in politics since 2005, and was active in various entertainers' associations.[5] In the 2009 Indonesian legislative election, Eko ran as a candidate for the People's Representative Council as part of the National Mandate Party (PAN), in East Java's 8th electoral district. He ran a grassroots campaign, visiting markets and holding entertainment events.[7] Eko's popularity was seen to have improved PAN's performance in the electoral district, where the party qualified for a number of municipal council seats despite failing to win any in 2004.[8] While Eko qualified for a seat, the Supreme Court of Indonesia nullified a number of legislative candidates including Eko.[9] However, the General Elections Commission refused to apply the ruling retroactively, and thus Eko was unaffected.[10] He was sworn in for his first term on 1 October 2009, and stated that he would donate his first month's salary to victims of the 2009 Sumatra earthquakes.[11] He was reelected in 2014 from the same district with around 64 thousand votes.[12] For the 2019 legislative election, Eko moved to Jakarta's 1st electoral district, and won his third term.[13] He was reelected from Jakarta I in 2024.[14]
In the legislature, Eko is part of the sixth commission which covers industry, investment, and business competition for the 2019–2024 term.[15] [16] He was in the fourth commission in 2014–2019.[5] Eko has endorsed subsidies for low-cost housing,[17] and criticized subsidies for electric vehicles, stating that the government should instead increase funding for public transportation or agriculture.[18]
According to Eko, while he was well-known from his entertainment career, he was mostly known under his stage name Eko Patrio instead of his legal name Eko Hendro Purnomo. A significant effort in his campaigning was to familiarise his constituents with his legal name, which was written on the ballot paper.[19]
Eko married actress in 2001, and the couple have three children.[20]