Candidates in LDP Presidential Race Diverge on Broadening Coalition, with Some Eager and Others Cautious

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, September 23, 2025

The five candidates for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency have shown varying levels of interest in expanding the ruling bloc. As the new LDP president will have to steer a minority government if chosen as prime minister, the candidates’ views on the issue will be pivotal.

“In this situation, where we lack a majority in both houses of the Diet, dialogue between ruling and opposition parties is the most important thing,” said Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in a policy speech at the party headquarters on Monday.

Koizumi, whose policy goals are often said to overlap with the Japan Innovation Party, believes that expanding the ruling bloc is a “surefire” way to create stability, and would explore broadening the coalition to advance policies.

When former LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi announced his policies, he said, “I will seek to expand the coalition framework.” Motegi previously worked to coordinate policies with the Democratic Party for the People under former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi has also argued for “forming a coalition government with opposition parties whose basic policies align with ours.”

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi have shown more caution about coalition talks.

When asked about his views on the issue at the press conference where he announced his candidacy, Hayashi was evasive. He said, “This is not a topic that should be discussed in the presidential election.” He believes that the LDP should first debate the policies it wants to advance as a ruling party.

Kobayashi has argued that “A coalition premised solely on increasing numbers is unthinkable.” He is for working simultaneously on policy-specific “partial coalitions” and negotiations for a coalition government.

In their policy speeches on Monday, Takaichi, Hayashi and Kobayashi made no mention of “opposition parties,” suggesting that they are not prioritizing coalitions to the extent that Koizumi and Motegi are.

Nevertheless, cooperation with opposition parties will be critical. For that reason, Kobayashi, Takaichi and Koizumi have all proposed ending the provisional gasoline tax rate, a key policy goal of opposition parties.

“Without cooperation from opposition parties, neither bills nor budget proposals will get passed,” said a veteran LDP lawmaker. “Compatibility with opposition parties will be a crucial factor in choosing the party leader.”