The new coalition agreement brings Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party closer to having a majority in parliament and gives its junior partner, the Japan Innovation Party, a chance to govern as a ruling party.
But while the political marriage between the LDP and JIP could help make Takaichi’s more immediate goals, including passing an economic relief package, easier to accomplish, the coalition’s longer term prospects remain uncertain.
On Monday, a day before Takaichi became prime minister with the JIP’s backing, the two sides signed a 12-point agreement covering economic security, defense, and constitutional revision. It included a promise to abolish the provisional gasoline tax during the current parliamentary session and to include measures in the supplementary budget to help ease the pain of rising costs, especially for utility bills.
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