So far it is not clear who will become the next prime minister. Mr. Shinzo Abe affirmed that he had no opinion on this issue and fully respected the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decision.
Based on a survey conducted by Kyodo News last week, The Japan Times reported that the brightest candidate is former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba with 23.3% of support, followed by Environment Minister Shinjiro. Koizumi received 8.4% of the support. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is also another official expected to come to power when he has shown his ability to negotiate after a series of tours to Singapore, Malaysia and the UK.
As Japan’s prime minister has been in power for the longest time ever, it’s hard to imagine the day when he officially left. A successor will certainly have a very difficult time keeping up with the achievements and influence that Mr. Abe has left behind.
Regardless of the character, the ability to make decisions and handle a crisis will be the two top requirements if you want to overcome the current situation. In the short term, it is likely that the successor will continue Mr. Abe’s open monetary policy to promote economic growth and propose some more measures to support Japanese business.
If the new Prime Minister is Mr. Ishiba, then it is possible that the politician will continue to pursue Japan’s ambitions to strengthen the military capabilities, which was started by Abe by declaring a revision of Article 9 of the country’s constitution in the year 2019. This provision limits Japan to only use the military for self-defense, not to actively participate in war and wage war.
With many indications that the risk of a US-China clash will increase in the coming years, this will certainly be a controversial issue in the country in the near future. In addition, the US election in November will also have some influence on the Prime Minister selection process when the new leader must be able to negotiate with President Donald Trump if he wins a second term, or standard. was mentally inclined for a more traditional America when Joe Biden was elected.
However, according to Dr. Lim Tai Wei, National University of Singapore, the hope for a positive future is not over for the Japanese people. He rated the country’s administrative apparatus as one of the most efficient and professional systems in the world, so the new prime minister will always be supported by the brightest minds in the policy-making process, according to The Washington Post.