EN
The aim of the article is to explain the origins and essence of the special autonomy of the Indonesian province of Aceh and the preliminary identification of the political consequences of its implementation. The local Aceh elite has been fighting for autonomy or independence almost since the establishment of independent Indonesia. The autonomy, finally introduced in 2006, contains original political, cultural and economic arrangements. Thanks to autonomy, regional ethnic parties can rule Aceh on their own. However, this is not happening. The article attempts to answer the question why the political effects of the implementation of autonomy in Aceh significantly differ from the predictions of those who fought for it.