Half a year after the tragic assassination attempt on former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, there is no stabilization on the Japanese political scene. The investigation after the coup revealed corrupt relations between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church. Despite another victory in the elections to the upper house of parliament, the administration of incumbent Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is trying to cope with strong criticism from the public and a marked decline in support. The 97-member Seiwakai faction, previously led by the late Prime Minister Abe, is struggling to choose a new leader and trying to avoid a rift in the succession struggle.
Abe Shinzō had a powerful influence on the political decisions made by his successors, especially in foreign and defense policy. His departure may have allowed Prime Minister Kishida to present a new, more independent political line. His administration, however, focused on building political support, continuing the reforms initiated by the former prime minister. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the rise of tensions in the Asia-Pacific region allowed for groundbreaking changes in defense policy, such as a doubling of defense spending, an unprecedented development of military cooperation with the United States, NATO and European partners, and the achievement of the possibility of preemptive ballistic strikes on enemy bases.
Will Prime Minister Kishida Fumio succeed in easing the political friction that arose after the departure of Prime Minister Abe? Who is Kishida's potential successor as prime minister?
What directions of a foreign and domestic policy initiated by Prime Minister Abe are among the priorities of the current administration?
What will Japan's further military and technological cooperation with the United States and the European Union look like?
Dr Marcin Socha answered the above questions in a debate organized by the Public Library of the Capital City of Warsaw Warsaw - the Main Library of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship in cooperation with the Department of Asian Studies of the SWPS University and the Warsaw Branch of TPP-Ch as part of a series of Thursday meetings about East Asia.