Continuity and unity underscored Monday's meeting of the heads of the three ruling coalition parties, which gained a solid majority in Sunday's Lower House election. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, is certain to be re-elected at the outset of a special Diet session that opens next week.
However, the going promises to be tough for the Koizumi administration. The coalition victory came with a price: The LDP failed to win a majority on its own, while the three parties combined lost 12 seats. The "Koizumi myth" -- his Teflon popularity -- appears to be diminishing. His critics in the party may be waiting for a chance to roll back his reform initiative.
The challenge for Mr. Koizumi is, in his own words, to "make sure the buds of reform grow into trees." Basically, that means putting the economy on track for deflation-free, self-sustaining expansion. The election, though conducted amid increasing signs of economic recovery, did not give him the kind of reward that he seemed to think he deserved -- a majority for the LDP as well as the coalition.