Less than a year into the Merah Putih Cabinet, President Prabowo Subianto has reshuffled ministers twice. The first reshuffle took place in February 2025, when Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro, was replaced by Brian Yuliarto. In the second reshuffle, President Prabowo replaced five ministers, occurring just over half a year after the first.
Dr. Mada Sukmajati, a lecturer at the Department of Politics and Government, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Fisipol UGM), stated that the reshuffle could help ease the current situation in Indonesia. However, he noted that it may not fully resolve long-term challenges.
“I think this cabinet reshuffle is still not very well-prepared, and another reshuffle may occur if situations develop,” he explained on Wednesday (Sep. 17).
According to Dr. Sukmajati, the reshuffle was driven by two fundamental issues in recent times: the economic situation and the political climate. Following the replacement of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Sukmajati assessed that President Prabowo’s strategy aimed to address the root causes of Indonesia’s economic challenges.
From a political perspective, Dr. Sukmajati projected that the reshuffle was also a quick response from President Prabowo to address several public rumors, including dynamics within political parties, concerns about breaches in national intelligence, and issues regarding the quality of the police and military institutions. He linked these issues to the replacement of the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs.
“Perhaps one of the criteria is that it would not be sufficiently responsive if President Prabowo were to definitively select a Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs from the military or police. This relates to political concerns about a potential state of military emergency or the sacrifice of civilian supremacy,” he explained.
In responding to the appointment of the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Dr. Sukmajati emphasized that the president should consider selecting a civilian figure capable of addressing security issues. Beyond serving as a quick response, Dr. Sukmajati projected that this ministerial reshuffle is also tied to power dynamics.
“I think this will also add to the power dynamics among the elites,” he concluded.
Author: Salwa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photograph: Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia