Cabinet Reshuffle For Political Power Balance

JAKARTA The reshuffle or cabinet reshuffle carried out by President Prabowo Subianto 'made victims' of figures that have been known to the public have been close to two major political forces, namely the 4th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri and the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

So, is the cabinet reshuffle an attempt by President Prabowo to get rid of the political influence of his predecessors, or simply reorganize the cabinet for the balance of political power in his supporting coalition?

According to the Head of the Department of Politics and Social Change CSIS, Arya Fernandes, through the reshuffle carried out, the president wants to show that he is in full control of executive powers that can evaluate the performance and performance of individual assistants, anytime and anywhere. Another thing is the president needs to ensure that there is no irregular behavior that can cause a crisis or instability.

In addition, the reshuffle was carried out to reorganize the power within the cabinet. President Prabowo is aware that he is surrounded by party forces and the dilemma of a complex multiparty system makes him have to accommodate many party interests in the cabinet.

"However, in the midst of a situation like this, the president has a strategic interest in repositioning his strength within the cabinet, by filling the position of minister to someone who represents Prabowo's political circle, and of course has interacted personally and institutionally with the president," said Arya, Monday, September 22, 2025.

On the other hand, Prabowo sees the need to balance political forces in the coalition. As the ruling party, Prabowo is of course also interested in ensuring that Gerindra gets a strategic and balanced portion in the ministry's posture. Reposition is also carried out by political parties.

Several parties also repositioned by changing or proposing new names in the cabinet, or being thrown away due to the changing internal political map of the party. Finally, the reshuffle is certainly carried out in response to the latest domestic political situation, to increase public trust in the government again," Arya added.

Political observer Ramen A Purba said that the reshuffle is a reflection of the political dynamics, the presidential managerial capacity, as well as indicators of the direction of government. In the midst of high public expectations towards Prabowo's leadership, this reshuffle needs to be seen as an effort to find a way to a solid government.

The reason is, changing the cabinet always creates a shift in balance of strength within the circle of power, as well as affects the president's relationship with supporting political parties. Every decision to replace ministers is almost always read as a signal whether the president is consolidating strength, affirming loyalty, or opening up space for new interests that have not previously been accommodated. Therefore, the reshuffle has never been neutral, but is full of meaning, both politically and symbolically.

He explained that Indonesia's post-reformed political history shows that cabinet reshuffles are almost always carried out within the framework of political compromise. Not a few ministers sit in cabinet seats because of the representation factor of political parties, not because of personal capacity. That is why, when the reshuffle is carried out, the public often suspects it as an effort to accommodate the interests of the elite alone.

Political stability in a democratic system relies heavily on the ability of leaders to maintain a balance between consensus and competition. The reshuffle in the Indonesian context can be seen as an attempt by the president to organize this balance," he said.

However, continued Ramen, political balance should not sacrifice the quality of government. Where the presidential system in multiparty countries often faces dilemmas, namely the president needs broad support in parliament, but excessive accommodation can erode the effectiveness of the government.

In the context of President Prabowo, the reshuffle clearly has two faces. On the one hand, it can be seen as a strategy to expand the political base so that the wheels of government do not stall. On the other hand, the public hopes that the reshuffle will be carried out to correct performance and strengthen priority programs. If the first face is more dominant, the reshuffle risks only being a political stage," he added.

Strategy To Achieve Political Gap

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Mubarok Institute, Fadhil Mubarok, saw that President Prabowo's Red and White Cabinet reshuffle was a multidimensional step, which not only talked about the division of power, but also about the development of inclusive, professional, courageous, and prorakyat government characters.

He assessed that this reshuffle is a picture of a tactically acting leadership to achieve a greater strategic goal, namely building a strong and united Indonesia. This cabinet reshuffle can also be interpreted as a concrete step to implement President Prabowo's vision, a reshuffle is a way to ensure that every key position is held by individuals who are not only competent but also have integrity and courage to make firm decisions.

According to Fadhil, the political maneuver carried out by President Prabowo is a strategy to bridge the political gap to end the sharp polarization that often occurs after the general election. In the context of Indonesia, this refers to efforts to reunite various political camps that previously competed fiercely, including supporters of Prabowo and his rival camps. The goal is to create stability and political harmony so that the government can focus on the development and welfare of the people, not continuously in conflict.

"Traveling the political gap is a big vision to end the nation's polarization, including through harmonious cooperation between political forces in order to achieve greater national goals. The strategy of bridging the political divide is a direct response to the hot political conditions that trigger social divisions. So, strategically bridging the political gap has great benefits for the government in the stability of state governance," he explained.

However, a political observer, Efriza, stated that President Prabowo's reshuffle was more full of charges of attraction attracting political interests behind him. He emphasized that the reshuffle should be a momentum for President Prabowo to strengthen internal political consolidation and increase the effectiveness of government work.

"Unfortunately, from a number of ministers who were replaced on Wednesday (17/9/2025), there are still people who are close to Jokowi. If the September 8 reshuffle further confirms efforts to improve performance by shifting strategic positions, yesterday's latest reshuffle looks full of political dimensions," he continued.

However, Efriza believes that President Prabowo will continue to strengthen the basis of the government coalition and ensure stability of support in parliament. "At the same time, President Prabowo is making efforts to balance the interests of supporting parties and professional needs in the cabinet," he said.