The Japanese Parliament elected Sanae Takaiichi as the new Prime Minister on Tuesday, marking a historic event for the country. The 64-year-old politician has become the first woman to lead the Japanese government — a state where politics has traditionally been a male-dominated sphere. Reuters reports this.
A woman has become the new Prime Minister of Japan for the first time in history
Takaiichi won a decisive victory in the first round of voting in the lower house of parliament, receiving 237 votes against 149 for the leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, Yoshihiko Noda. This allowed her to avoid a second round. Lawmakers greeted her election with thunderous applause.
Takaiichi's victory was made possible after a coalition agreement was reached between her Liberal Democratic Party and the Party of Japanese Innovation. The new Prime Minister agreed to support a number of initiatives from her partners, including:
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reducing the number of parliamentary seats;
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free secondary education;
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a two-year pause in the collection of consumption tax on food products.
Who is Sanae Takaiichi
Takaiichi was born in Nara near Osaka to the family of an auto company worker and a police officer. Unlike most Japanese politicians, she does not come from a political dynasty. Before entering politics, she interned with a Democratic congresswoman in the US and worked as a television commentator. Since then, she has been elected to parliament nine times.
Takaiichi's political views
The new Prime Minister is a proponent of conservative views and continues the political legacy of the assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She supports revising Japan's pacifist constitution and large state investments in strategic sectors. Takaiichi takes office at a challenging time: the country is facing economic difficulties, high inflation, and a tense regional situation. The previous Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, resigned after losing the majority in parliament.
Earlier, we reported that Japan will provide Ukraine with technologies for agricultural sector recovery.