Indonesian cabinet reshuffle: how Prabowo is looking to restore credibility amid criticism

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s reshuffling of his cabinet signals an urgent need to address criticism and dipping ratings by banking on experienced technocrats and trusted figures in key positions, observers say.

But although the appointment of a new foreign minister raises hope of some restraint on Prabowo’s more “impulsive” foreign policy decisions, the president’s self-imposed role as “chief diplomat” is likely to remain unchanged.

In his second senior cabinet change in under three weeks, Prabowo on Thursday named his country’s former permanent representative to the UN, Arrmanatha Nasir, as the new foreign minister, with the outgoing Sugiono appointed coordinating minister for human development.

Golkar party politician Muhammad Sarmuji was named minister of industry, replacing Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman will now serve as the coordinating minister for political and security affairs while Bahlil Lahadalia has been appointed coordinating minister for downstreaming and energy transition, a new position in the cabinet.