Meanwhile,
Japan: electoral setback projected prime new:
The government coalition of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba lost the majority in the upper room of the Parliament during elections on Sunday. Nevertheless, according to first projections. However, A bitter reverse on a background of inflation and strong push of the extreme right.
While 125 of the 248 seats were renewed during the ballot, the liberal democratic party (PLD, conservative right) of Mr. However, Ishiba. Therefore, its ally Komeito (Center right) gained only 41 seats, according to the projections of the national media, including public television NHK.
Far from the 50 necessary to keep their majority. Nevertheless, The anti-immigration populist party Sanseeito. For example, in the slogan ‘Japan first’, made a very strong breakthrough, with between 10 and 22 seats won, while it only controls two in the current assembly.
Experts had estimated before the election that such a defeat japan: electoral setback projected prime new of the government could force the resignation of Shigeru Ishiba. Consequently, 68, in office for ten months.
The government coalition is already in the minority in the lower room of the Parliament. Meanwhile, since a bitter setbacks during the anticipated legislative elections of the fall – which Mr. Ishiba himself summoned after taking the head of the PLD in September.
‘Unknown terrain’
Japan could now enter ‘on unknown terrain. with a minority government in the two rooms of Parliament, an unprecedented situation since the Second World War’, had warned before the Toru Yoshida election, professor of political science at Doshisha University.
The PLD has governed Japan almost uninterrupted since 1955, despite frequent changes in manager.
Minority in the lower room. the PLD and Komeito had to compromise with the opposition to have their texts vote, even though the economic situation darkens.
Inflation remains strong (+3.3% in June excluding fresh products). japan: electoral setback projected prime new driven by a vertiginous outbreak of rice prices that have doubled in the space of a year.
‘The basic prices are increasing. but I am especially worried that wages do not increase,’ sighs Atsushi Matsuura, 54, met on Sunday in a Tokyo polling station.
Hisayo Kojima. 65, deplores the constant reduction in the actual amount of her retirement: ‘We paid a lot to support the pension system. This is the most urgent problem, ‘she insists.
To alleviate the inflationary impact. Shigeru Ishiba has extended housing aid, extended from energy grants, and has committed to pay checks of 20,000 yen (120 dollars) per citizen. The authorities have also released part of the rice strategic reserves to lower prices, without success for the time being.
Trump’s shadow
In addition. Donald Trump’s customs offensive plunged car sales to the United States by a quarter, a sector overlapping by Washington at 25% and which japan: electoral setback projected prime new represents 8% of jobs in the archipelago. The threat of generalized surcharge of 25% on August 1, weakens the Japanese economic fabric, very dependent on exports.
While the Japanese negotiator went seven times to the United States, the talks with Washington seem to get bogged down.
Before the elections. Shigeru Ishiba had displayed a maximalist strategy consisting in claiming the total elimination of customs duties, at the risk of alarming certain industrial actors.
‘The government’s ability to manage commercial negotiations is a critical issue. it is crucial for the PLD to consolidate the confidence of citizens’, confides to AFP Masahisa Endo, professor of political science at Waseda University.
The financial markets are concerned. them, budgetary drifts, the massifs of recovery plans and aid from the Ishiba government aggravating already massive debt. Several Tokyo bond emissions have been shunned in recent months, caught up the Japanese rates.
‘Japan first’
If we japan: electoral setback projected prime new add the corruption scandals tainting the PLD. the climate is favorable to the opposition, but it appears very fragmented and hardly able to form an alternative government, despite the defeat of the government coalition.
The push of the Sanseeito, which encroaches on the PLD vote, was closely monitored.
This formation advocates ‘hardened rules. restrictions’ in immigration, castigates ‘globalism’, denounces ‘radical’ gender policies, and calls for recondizing vaccination and decarbonation strategies.
Under pressure due to positions deemed prorusians, the Sanseeito fiercely denied having everything related to Moscow.
‘They express what I think but that I could not say for a long time’. recently confided in AFP a voter during a gathering of the party.
/ATS
Japan: electoral setback projected prime new
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