For years, Japan has successfully maintained relative political stability and democracy within the nation. Currently, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba heads the ruling coalition, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has held a dominant position in Japanese parliament for decades. Since 1955, Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party has historically governed the country, and its ruling has never been questioned in recent times. However, the 2024 elections shocked the world as the LDP recorded a loss in parliamentary majority of the lower house for the first time in 15 years. The election results left the Japanese people in a sense of confusion, even a sense of disillusionment. Was the decade-long reign of the LDP nearing its closure?
The lower house of parliament in Japan consists of 465 seats, in which a 233-seat majority is required for a political party to govern the nation. In the recent elections, the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito recorded 215 seats, falling short of the majority vote necessary to rule. Despite the parliamentary loss, many regarded this result as somewhat insignificant, given that Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party has remained the top party in parliament after the past elections. Additionally, it was speculated that a change of government is highly unlikely.
However, the results of the election reveal the currently unsteady political climate of Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party’s loss signifies that Japanese voters weren’t quite satisfied with the ruling party. Notably, according to CNN, public anger and distrust at the ruling government has been growing in the last couple of years due to a number of factors, including “rising living costs, inflation and a massive political funding scandal at the heart of the LDP.” This change is a bit alarming to hear, given that Japan has maintained a high reputation and praise for upholding democratic stability for a substantial period of time. Earlier this year, the LDP also faced other issues relating to a corruption scandal, decreasing its approval ratings even far below 20%.
The result especially includes a major setback for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office less than a month ago, when he was elected to become the fifth prime minister to lead the Liberal Democratic Party in the country. His initial plan was to hold a snap election to elevate his status. Evidently, his plan seems to be a tumultuous failure as of now.
Furthermore, before the elections were called, the Japanese media warned that if the LDP were to lose its parliamentary elections, the ill-rumored Ishiba could possibly resign from his position as Prime Minister, which would make him Japan’s shortest-serving prime minister post-World War 2. However, Ishiba has promised that he would not step down as he, indeed, has a plan for the future.
Ishiba also believes that the voters gave an “extremely harsh judgment” to the issue, but he nonetheless recognizes the job he has to take on now. “I myself will also go back to the start and promote severe internal reforms within the party… [and] reforms regarding the political situation,” he stated during a conference after the election results were announced.
With this early setback for Ishiba and the Liberal Democratic Party, many remain skeptical of Ishiba’s political prowess. They believe he may severely struggle to maintain the political reputation of the LDP that they have kept for so long and remain in power. What comes in the future is uncertain for sure, but what is certain is that Ishiba has a huge barrier to climb, which requires immediate, urgent action.
