The Japanese parliament has approved former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as the new Prime Minister. He had previously won the election for the head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). What is the new head of government known for, what will be Tokyo’s political course under him, and what will change for Russia — in the NEWS.ru article.
Earlier, Ishiba, who served as the country’s defense minister, won the internal election for the post of LDP leader. The vote was held in two rounds after the previous head of the party and government, Fumio Kishida, announced that he would not run for a second term as prime minister.
“Ishiba’s appointment as head of the cabinet is a very typical trend for Japanese politics and the Liberal Democratic Party. When the current prime minister’s popularity falls, he resigns, as if taking on the negative. A new figure comes in, enjoying renewed trust from voters. As a rule, a representative of this party wins the new elections, and nothing much changes,” Vladimir Nelidov, associate professor of the MGIMO Department of Oriental Studies, told NEWS.ru.
Why Kishida resigned as prime minister
Kishida’s government was plagued by several high-profile scandals, which affected his popularity and became one of the reasons for his resignation .
Tokyo prosecutors were investigating financial irregularities involving opaque revenues from ticket sales at party events that were not declared, in violation of a law on the control of political funds. As a result, more than 30 LDP members, most of them members of a group led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe , were under investigation. Prosecutors brought charges against several lawmakers, and the Kishida government found itself at the center of a slush fund scandal.
Another political scandal was triggered by the assassination of Abe in July 2022. Investigators found that the killer, Tetsuya Yamagami , had a grudge against the quasi-Christian sect Unification Church (Moon Church), accusing it of destroying his family because of large donations made by his mother.
Following the prime minister’s assassination, media reports emerged of close ties between many LDP members and prominent politicians, including Abe himself, and the Unification Church. This has sparked a wave of criticism in Japan, given the cult’s reputation for financial abuses.
The scandals damaged the reputation of the Liberal Democratic Party and Kishida’s government, with his approval ratings falling below 20%. This forced the prime minister to resign to prevent further damage to the party ahead of elections scheduled for 2025.
How Ishiba showed himself in politics
Ishiba is one of the Liberal Democratic Party’s most experienced politicians. He has made five attempts to lead the party and the country – in 2008, 2012, 2018, 2020 and 2024. When announcing his candidacy for party chairman after Kishida’s resignation, Ishiba said it was his last attempt.