Political Pulse

‘Deliberative’ Diet Session a Debacle for Ishiba Cabinet; Ruling, Opposition Sides Both Shirking Responsibility

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addresses the Liberal Democratic Party convention on March 9.

By Michitaka Kaiya

8:00 JST, March 22, 2025

The atmosphere was far from uplifting when the Liberal Democratic Party held its annual convention at a Tokyo hotel on March 9.

In his speech as party president, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba referred to the LDP’s return to power in 2012 and said, “We want the LDP to be a party that humbly functions as a government and manages the Diet fairly. We were entrusted with power [back then] based on such a pledge. Once again, we want to be humble to the people.”

The LDP members present responded indifferently to his words.

One member of the House of Representatives commented: “All he does is talk like a critic. As the top leader, I can’t see what direction he will lead us in.”

A senior party official said, “The president’s speech at the party convention is an opportunity for the prime minister to get [the party] fired up for the national election, but the content of his speech was completely different, and the reaction from the audience was not very positive.”

Ishiba leads the LDP, whose heavy defeat in the lower house election last October left it as the head of a minority ruling coalition. To deal with a situation in which neither the budget bill nor any other bills can be passed without the approval of some of the opposition parties, the prime minister aimed for a “deliberative” Diet session in which he would listen carefully to the opposition parties’ arguments and try to build consensus. As a result, the fiscal 2025 budget bill, the biggest hurdle in the current Diet session, passed the House of Representatives with the approval of the Japan Innovation Party.

Although the prime minister told those around him that he had thorough discussions with the opposition parties, the assessment within his own party was harsh. One former cabinet member said the prime minister had gone too far in accepting opposition demands without a clear understanding of what that would mean, even if he was doing so in an attempt to pass the budget bill. This is because the prime minister accepted the JIP’s request for free high school education and other measures without sufficient consideration of the impact.

Ishiba’s lack of foresight was also exposed in the review of the high-cost medical expense benefit system, which is designed to limit the monetary burden on patients who need expensive treatments. The government had decided to raise the maximum co-payment in stages over a three-year period from August this year to ensure the sustainability of the system, but the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, pressed for a postponement of the increase. When the budget bill was passed by the House of Representatives, the prime minister sought support by saying that the increase from August would be implemented as planned but that the increases for future years would be reviewed by autumn this year.

However, when deliberations on the budget bill moved to the House of Councillors, upper house members from the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito, concerned about the impact on this summer’s upper house election, demanded that the prime minister postpone the hike, and Ishiba eventually accepted that demand. Takayuki Kobayashi, a former minister of state for economic security, complained to the press on March 9, “I feel that [the government’s] decisions are being changed again and again.”

What the ruling and opposition parties have in common in their policy decisions is that they have been focusing exclusively on policies to increase services to voters while avoiding increasing the burden on the public. The ruling and opposition parties are prioritizing short-term popularity and placing the burden on future generations, which can hardly be called responsible politics. Ideally, deliberative discussions should transcend the boundaries between the ruling and opposition parties to reach agreement on necessary policies even if they involve pain for the people. If the only goal is to provide services to the people, then there is no need for politicians.

“The job of a politician is to speak the truth with courage and sincerity.” The prime minister often quotes these words by Michio Watanabe, who served as deputy prime minister in the early 1990s and whom Ishiba admires. However, the prime minister’s current political stance is far from these words. His evasive attitude has led to an indecisiveness in policy decisions, and his unifying force within the LDP is declining. His low-profile management of the government has ironically resulted in the buildup of a magma of criticism against him. Some in the LDP have begun to publicly call for a change of prime minister.

At a general meeting of upper house members on March 12, member Shoji Nishida looked ahead to this summer’s election and said, “We can’t compete at all under the current system.” He called for an LDP presidential election and replacement of prime minister.

Furthermore, the issue of the distribution of vouchers by the prime minister, which was subsequently revealed, has shaken the administration. The issue is that Ishiba handed out vouchers worth ¥100,000 to each of 15 LDP lawmakers with whom he had dinner. The opposition parties have been pressing the prime minister to step down, and dissatisfaction with him within the ruling party has grown. The Cabinet’s approval rating has plummeted.

Ishiba has expressed regret about the vouchers to those around him, saying that he should not have done something he is not accustomed to doing, but he has also expressed his intention to remain in office.

However, a veteran LDP lawmaker noted: “The combination of poor policymaking and the gift voucher scandal has made the situation surrounding the administration more difficult, and I don’t see much hope for Ishiba after April.”

There is a possibility that calls for a change of prime minister will grow. On the other hand, some within the LDP believe that replacing the prime minister will not dispel the public’s distrust of the LDP. What is certain is that the outlook for Japan’s political situation will remain unclear for the time being.

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