Prabowo May Reshuffle Cabinet; PDIP Opts to Remain as Balancing Force

President Prabowo Subianto has opened the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle during the second year of his administration. Andreas Hugo Pareira, a high-ranking official of the PDIP, emphasised his party’s position as a balancing force.

“Regarding a reshuffle, it is the President’s prerogative. We respect that right,” said Andreas when contacted on Friday (18/09/2026).

Andreas is confident that Prabowo knows best who is most suitable to fill positions within his cabinet. He noted that the cabinet has already participated in several retreats.

“The President knows who is best and who is appropriate for the positions in his cabinet. The cabinet has also conducted several retreats, so they should understand what needs to be done,” he said.

Furthermore, Andreas emphasised that Prabowo is aware of PDIP’s position, a role that the President has reportedly appreciated on several occasions.

“The President also knows the position of PDI Perjuangan as a balancing party outside the cabinet, and on several occasions, he has appreciated PDI Perjuangan’s position,” he asserted.

Previously, President Prabowo did not rule out the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle at the two-year mark of his term. Prabowo believes that cabinet members should have had sufficient time to prove their performance.

This was stated by Prabowo during an interview on the ‘Prabowo Menjawab’ programme on Wednesday (16/09/2026), while responding to questions regarding his satisfaction with ministerial performance and the likelihood of a reshuffle.

“So, it’s like this: if I evaluate continuously and objectively up to now, I must say that my team is working well. However, I also tell my team, remember, much like a football team, there are starters, strikers, and substitutes. Therefore, I am focusing first because Indonesia’s problems are so complex; we must focus on the fundamentals,” Prabowo replied.

Prabowo explained that there are several ministries that are not considered to be on the ‘front line’. He noted that these ministers are working according to their capabilities and authority.

“So at this time, there are several ministries that are, so to speak, not on the front line, but they understand. And they work according to their own initiative,” said Prabowo.

Prabowo added that a cabinet reshuffle would be necessary to place people in the right positions, but it could also occur if there are errors that require accountability.

“So, if there is a reshuffle later, I think it might be, among other things, to promote people; certainly, in this organisation, we are always looking for ‘the right man in the right place’, i.e., competence. And if someone is perhaps not suitable for that place, we must be able to replace them correctly,” he said.

“Or if they themselves have problems, we cannot avoid that. For example, I don’t know, suddenly the KPK comes to me and says, ‘Sir, this official is like this, like this’. Well, what can I do? ‘Do you have evidence? If you have evidence, please proceed’, I say. Then an incident occurs. If my Deputy Minister is involved, that is his responsibility,” he continued.

When asked if the two-year mark represents a momentum for either replacement or evaluation of cabinet members, Prabowo replied: “I think it is something logical. After two years, each person has had time to prove their abilities and so on.”