Sinking Approval Ratings Push Prabowo-Gibran Administration to Overhaul Economic Policy and Cabinet Messaging

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Public approval for the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka tumbled to 55.1% in August 2026, forcing exchange of blame over public messaging and mounting economic headwinds.

The latest nationwide poll from independent research firm Poltracking Indonesia reveals a steep erosion of confidence from a peak of 74.1% in March 2026. Public trust in the administration similarly retreated to 63.2% from 75.1% over the same period, driven by surging living costs and operational friction surrounding flagship welfare initiatives.

A sharp decline in public confidence threatens policy execution across Southeast Asia's largest economy. As persistent living costs and sluggish job creation erode household purchasing power, international investors face heightened risks of fiscal adjustments and potential cabinet shakeups. The administration’s ability to stabilize sentiment will determine whether multi-billion-dollar welfare and nutrition programs can succeed without straining public deficits or triggering populist tariff freezes.

Economic Squeeze and Welfare Policy Under Fire

Household financial strain represents the primary driver of voter frustration across the country. According to the poll of 1,220 respondents, 44.3% cited expensive basic staples as their primary grievance, while 57.3% stated the government has failed to curb unemployment.

Policy analysts warn that planned hikes in fuel prices or municipal tariffs could accelerate this slide. Poltracking recommended immediate expansions of social safety nets, including targeted direct cash assistance (BLT), alongside a freeze on additional consumer levies to cushion vulnerable households.

The administration's hallmark Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program—overseen by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN)—is encountering severe implementation hurdles. Despite boasting a 93.9% public awareness rate, 49.2% of aware respondents expressed dissatisfaction with its execution, prompting calls for comprehensive operational audits and targeted rollouts in remote regions.

Cabinet Reshuffle Pressure and Governance Deficits

Growing voter discontent is fueling demands for a merit-based cabinet overhaul. The survey found that 51.9% of respondents favor a ministerial reshuffle, while public satisfaction with law enforcement and anti-corruption efforts sank to 44.8% and 46.6%, respectively.

Poltracking Executive Director Hanta Yuda emphasized that ministers must translate policy into tangible economic relief rather than relying solely on the president's political capital.

“Fix the ministers whose performance is disappointing—they need to be reshuffled immediately,” Yuda stated during a public presentation broadcast via Poltracking TV on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. “The determining factor must be technocratic performance rather than political dealmaking.”

Jakarta Vows Aggressive Public Relations Overhaul

Government officials moved quickly to counter the narrative, identifying fractured public messaging as the root cause of declining sentiment. Government Communications Agency (Bakom) Head Muhammad Qodari acknowledged that state agencies have struggled to communicate policy adjustments effectively.

“Our next major homework is communication—it must be more intensive, more maximized, and far more proactive,” Qodari said in Jakarta on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026.

Qodari defended the administration’s core agenda, pointing to strict operational sanctions and kitchen closures enforced by BGN Head Sudaryono as evidence that delivery bottlenecks are being systematically resolved. Bakom plans to mobilize 8,000 regional and ministerial public relations officers, institute weekly strategic briefings, and coordinate directly with security and digital ministries to rebuild public confidence.