Gibran's Seating Position During Cabinet Meeting Draws Attention, Palace: Nothing to Worry About, Just a Technical Requirement

The State Palace has denied wild rumours circulating on social media concerning the relationship between President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka after the two did not sit side by side during a Plenary Cabinet Session on Monday, 20 July 2026. Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi stressed that the change in seating layout was based solely on technical requirements and did not reflect any political dynamics within the government. He added that the public need not link the change in seating position to the issue of the President and Vice President’s relationship. ‘So that answers the question regarding the layout, if you noticed yesterday, the President was in the middle,’ Prasetyo told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, 21 July 2026. He explained that Vice President Gibran’s position, which was not next to the President, held no political meaning whatsoever. ‘And if what is being questioned is the position of the Vice President, in our view this is purely a technical requirement. There is nothing to be worried about,’ he stated. The statement was in response to the buzz on social media following the Plenary Cabinet Session led by President Prabowo. During the session, Prabowo sat alone in the main seat, while Gibran was seated among the ministers, right next to Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. The change in formation sparked various speculations, including assumptions of a shift in the political relationship between the President and Vice President. However, the Palace stressed that the focus of the cabinet meeting was on evaluating government performance and accelerating national priority programmes. Prasetyo said that during the meeting, Prabowo assessed the achievements of the Red and White Cabinet over approximately the last 21 months. ‘The most important thing is substantively what the President conveyed to all ranks, which was to provide an assessment, an evaluation, and to present the achievements of the Red and White Cabinet, which has been entrusted for less than 21 months under the leadership of President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Many achievements have been successfully attained,’ he said. In addition to evaluating the government’s performance, the President also requested all ranks to accelerate the implementation of various priority programmes in the remainder of this year’s second semester.