(Adnkronos) – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s popularity has dropped by almost ten percentage points in the last month, settling at around 67%, just two weeks before the snap elections she herself called to consolidate parliamentary support. According to a Nikkei newspaper poll, Takaichi has lost support compared to the 75% recorded in December, falling below the 70% threshold for the first time since she took office last October. The decline is attributed to criticism over the decision to dissolve Parliament and call elections, set for February 8, and doubts about the feasibility of some electoral promises, such as the food tax cut mentioned in the poll.
The first woman to lead the Japanese government, Takaichi described the election as “necessary” to obtain a stronger mandate and form a new coalition government capable of passing laws with a greater margin. Appointed three months ago, she struggled to build an alliance between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which hold a slim majority in the Lower House. The LDP remains weakened by low approval ratings and a series of scandals, while Takaichi’s personal popularity remains higher than that of the party, making the election outcome risky for the coalition. The prime minister has promised to resign immediately if the group loses its majority in the Lower House.
To secure a stable majority in the House of Representatives (465 total seats), the LDP-JIP coalition ideally aims for 250 seats to have a comfortable margin that allows it to pass laws without obstacles. Before the dissolution, the coalition held a slim majority, estimated between 233 and 240 seats.
