No stronger command, but lost majority: early elections explode against Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba

The Liberal Democratic Party has been in power almost continuously since the Second World War. The result of these elections is the worst for the LDP since the party had to hand over power for a short time to a former member of the CDPJ in 2009.

If it were up to Ishiba, his party would remain in power despite heavy losses. Ishiba says he wants to avoid a “political vacuum”. “I want to keep doing my job, which is to protect people’s lives and Japan.”

Japan is the fourth largest economy in the world. The country is in difficult economic times. After the election results, the yen, the Japanese currency, fell to its lowest level in 3 months. At the geopolitical level, there are tensions with China over the strategically important South China Sea and North Korea is also a sensitive issue in the region.

Ishiba promises to implement “fundamental reforms in funding and policy” within his party. According to the Prime Minister, the loss of the election is largely due to “the distrust, suspicion and anger” among voters after the scandals. So he proposes a “rebirth” of his party.