Former Tokyo Governor: Restoring Public Trust Is the LDP's Biggest Challenge

Former Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe stated that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s defeats in previous elections, including the House of Representatives and House of Councillors elections, indicate that the party's biggest challenge at present is the need to restore public trust.

Former Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe: The LDP is currently losing the support of the Japanese public. How to regain this support and whether it can secure a majority in the next election is crucial. Therefore, for the new LDP president, how to reverse this situation is the biggest challenge. Among these, the most significant issues are economic aspects, particularly how to control prices, and another is the "politics and money" problem, specifically the "slush fund" scandal previously exposed within the Abe faction.

Whether the LDP Can Cooperate with Opposition Parties Will Test the New President

Masuzoe also mentioned that, given the current ruling environment, whether the LDP can cooperate with opposition parties will be an important task for the new LDP president.

Former Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe: This time, unlike previous LDP presidential elections, the party has become a "minority government." Even combined with Komeito, they do not hold a majority in either the House of Representatives or the House of Councillors. Without cooperation from opposition parties, it will be impossible to implement policies. This is a new factor. In other words, when selecting the new LDP president, it is essential to consider who can shake hands and cooperate with opposition parties. It is necessary to analyze and observe from this perspective, which is unprecedented.