Two Years of Prabowo's Administration: The Tradition of Speeches in Parliament and DPR Oversight

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Prabowo Subianto has delivered several speeches to the representatives of the people during his two years in office. Conversely, how has the House of Representatives (DPR) monitored the government?

The President's presence before the parliament is also part of a constitutional tradition concerning the government's accountability to the public.

Prabowo has given numerous addresses at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, during various state occasions.

On May 20, 2026, he took a distinctive step by delivering a speech on the Macro Economic Framework and Key Fiscal Policies (KEM-PPKF) for the Draft State Budget (RAPBN) 2027 during a plenary session of the DPR.

Under a presidential system, the relationship between the President and the parliament is not limited to the delivery of government programs.

The DPR also has a supervisory function to ensure that the government's policies and use of authority are in compliance with regulations and the interests of the public.

Constitutional law expert from Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Herlambang Wiratraman, believes that presidential speeches before parliament are a crucial part of the checks and balances mechanism.

However, he argues that merely delivering speeches is insufficient if not accompanied by critical oversight regarding the execution of government policies.

So, how has Prabowo's tradition of addressing parliament evolved over his two years in office, and how effective has the DPR been in maintaining the balance of power?

From the inaugural address to the presentation of the RAPBN

Since being inaugurated as President on October 20, 2024, Prabowo has delivered several speeches at the Parliament Complex on various occasions.

On October 20, 2024, he delivered his first speech as President during the plenary session for the inauguration of the President and Vice President for the 2024-2029 period at the MPR/DPR building.

In that address, he conveyed his government's message, vision, and mission for the next five years.

Subsequently, on August 15, 2025, Prabowo delivered a state address during the Annual MPR Session and the Joint Session of the DPR-DPD RI.

On that occasion, he discussed government achievements, challenges facing Indonesia, and the policy direction the government plans to take.

On the same day, he also presented the introductory speech for the 2026 RAPBN and the Financial Note during a plenary session of the DPR.

He outlined the eight priority agendas for the 2026 state budget, ranging from food security enhancement to accelerated investment and global trade.

A different moment occurred on May 20, 2026, when Prabowo attended the DPR plenary session to directly deliver a speech on the KEM-PPKF RAPBN 2027.

This move broke a longstanding convention.

Previously, the introduction of the initial budget document was presented by the Minister of Finance on behalf of the government.

Typically, the President's speeches regarding state finances were delivered during plenary sessions scheduled for the presentation of the financial notes ahead of August 17.

Prabowo stated that his presence at this forum was a personal initiative to directly convey the direction of the government's economic and fiscal policies.

"I intentionally requested time to stand before all of you to directly convey our country's economic and fiscal policies, as a preliminary discussion in preparing the draft state revenue and expenditure budget for 2027," Prabowo said in his speech on May 20, 2026.

Speeches are more than just program presentations

According to Herlambang, the tradition of presidential speeches before the DPR needs to be contextualized within a broader framework of governmental accountability and the implementation of parliamentary oversight.