The latest study by Electoral Politics & Public Opinion Studies (EPPOS) PolGov UGM analyzing President Prabowo Subianto’s communication style over his first two years in office (October 2024–October 2026) reveals a contradictory portrait of executive rhetoric. The initial intention to increase transparency and elaborate on government programs via the presidential podium has produced an outcome strikingly inverse to public perception.
In quantitative terms, Prabowo has deployed a massive amount of political communication. Across 166 public speeches totaling 80.6 hours, the focus on explaining government programs surged from 12 percent in the first semester to 51 percent by the fourth semester. This threefold increase in speech duration highlights the Palace’s strong drive to directly control the policy narrative.
However, in political communication, a surge in speech volume without strictly controlled articulation risks generating a high frequency of risky diction.
The UGM study documented 311 instances of language categorized as inappropriate to highly inappropriate across 84 speeches. Worryingly, the vast majority of these incidents (71.4 percent) occurred during official state events broadcast on official public channels. The combination of unfiltered rhetoric and accumulating populist policy pressures appears to have acted as a primary catalyst for declining public approval—dropping from 80.5 percent at the start of the presidency to 58 percent in the second year.
Strategic Audit: Communication Style & Speech Analysis of President Prabowo (2024–2026)
| Parameter Vector | Substantive Findings of the EPPOS PolGov UGM Study |
|---|---|
| Volume & Speech Duration | 166 public speeches totaling 80.6 hours (Speech duration tripled from Semester I to Semester IV). |
| Main Theme Distribution | State Events: 42.7% (34.4 hours); Government Programs: 36.2% (29.1 hours); Political/Social: 21.1% (17 hours). |
| Language/Diction Incidents | 311 inappropriate utterances (214 somewhat inappropriate, 78 inappropriate, 19 highly inappropriate); 71.4% occurred on official channels. |
| Public Approval Impact | Average public satisfaction across 29 pollsters declined from 80.5% to 58%. |
*Source: EPPOS PolGov Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Study / Released October 2026
At the presidential podium, every word spoken by a head of state reflects the institutional maturity of the executive office. When high speech intensity is not paired with strict articulatory discipline, vital policy messaging becomes overshadowed by controversy surrounding off-kilter diction. For the Palace, the UGM research findings deliver a clear signal: it is time to replace spontaneous, aggressive rhetoric with a more measured, dignified public communications framework.
(Emha Firmansyah/Evi T.)
