Prabowo Before Kadin: In All Failed States, the Elites are Divided

President Prabowo Subianto has asserted that the success of a nation is heavily determined by the ability of all elite elements to build synergy. Conversely, divisions among the elite, according to Prabowo, will only lead a country towards failure.

These remarks were made during his keynote address at a meeting with the central and regional boards of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Friday, 31 July 2026. Addressing business leaders, the President reminded them that the process of nation-building is a long-term endeavour involving all national forces.

“The issue of nation-building is indeed a very long and very heavy process,” he stated. Prabowo emphasised that national development cannot be separated from political, economic, cultural, and even religious aspects. He noted that all sectors must move in an integrated manner so that every resource possessed by the nation can be utilised optimally.

“In this process, the history of human civilisation teaches us that the economy cannot be separated from politics, culture, or even religion; the development of a nation is a cross-sectoral development,” Prabowo explained. Consequently, he assessed that nation-building requires the ability to unite all national strengths towards a single developmental direction.

“Therefore, nation-building requires strength—the strength of the nation to be mobilised and unified, so that the nation can utilise all the resources available to it,” he clarified.

Prabowo stated that world history has shown a clear distinction between successful and failed nations. He noted that many countries possess abundant resources yet fail to develop because they are unable to manage unity among their leaders.

“This is a matter of history; we simply need to learn from history. In the history of human civilisation, we can clearly see which nations have succeeded and which have failed,” he remarked. He further highlighted the phenomenon of the ‘failed state.’

“Nations that fail are called failed states. A failed state—a nation that possesses resources but fails, let alone one that lacks resources and other advantages,” Prabowo concluded.