As the durable 93-month administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe comes to an end, a new administration led by Yoshihide Suga, who advocates carrying on Abe's policies, comes into being. Meanwhile, on the opposition side, the newly merged Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has set sail. I would like to think about where the problems lie in Japan's politics at this critical juncture and what is required of politics in a new era.
The number of infections and deaths from the novel coronavirus are both much lower in Japan than in other advanced countries in Europe and North America. Despite this, why has the Abe Cabinet been evaluated harshly? Why have the opposition parties been defeated so completely in national elections held under the Abe administration? The key to answering these questions can be found in a maxim: "If the people have no faith in the government, there is no standing for the state."
The people's low evaluation of the government's measures against the coronavirus may stem from various reasons, such as government responses that were taken too late or went awry in the absence of a control tower. But the biggest reason may be the stance of the nation's top leader. Wasn't there a lack of a visible image of the leader taking an imposing stance and fighting with all his might to protect the people?
The same can be said with regard to problems involving school operators Moritomo Gakuen and Kake Educational Institution and an official cherry blossom viewing party. As Abe lacked the stance of vigorously dispelling people's distrust over these issues, their distrust in the administration has lingered right up to the present. I hope that Suga, taking to heart that politics cannot move ahead without the people's trust, will assume accountability to such an extent that some might even deem it excessive.
It is obvious that one reason the Abe administration continued for such a long period is the spiritlessness of opposition parties. If they seriously aimed at a change of government, they vitally needed to accumulate steady, down-to-earth activities to win the people's support. What most stood out, however, was their appearance of spending all their effort on deciding which parties should join forces in the Diet. This could hardly win the trust of the people.
The fact that public support for the newly expanded opposition party has not widened may also stem from the perception that the merged parties' logic of "number-juggling" is merely aimed at forming a large group of legislators at least for now, with an eye toward the dissolution of the House of Representatives and a general election.
As Max Weber wrote in his book "Politics as a Vocation" (published in Japanese by the Iwanami Library), "Politics is like slowly but forcefully drilling holes in hardwood boards." Isn't it necessary for opposition parties to have a stance of working through difficulty humbly and earnestly?
The novel coronavirus has brought to light some of the structural problems facing Japan. There are too many to enumerate: the relationship between the central and local governments, including decentralization of power; how laws and systems no longer appropriate to actual situations should be dealt with; the ill effects of bureaucratic sectionalism in government ministries and agencies; and the vulnerability of the health care systems.
Fortunately, Suga has stated that he would do his utmost in implementing reforms, by overcoming such things as vested interests and blind adherence to precedent. While of course aiming to make efforts against the coronavirus compatible with efforts for economic revitalization, he must also -- now or never -- achieve a complete overhaul of the existing systems.
The opposition parties, for their part, should brace themselves for a time of bitter ordeal. To escape the void into which they have fallen over the 7 years and 9 months of the Abe administration, opposition parties must show their fighting spirit and present concrete steps for coping with the national crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. Presently, it cannot be seen how the opposition parties would handle things if they were in power.
For a politician, what is important is the mettle to resolutely carry out one's beliefs. Also tested in the same crucible is how thoroughly they have prepared for the challenges of the times and how they have made efforts to win people's understanding. If they have tried their best, the people will judge and evaluate their efforts fairly in time.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
.png?w=600)
