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A critical moment for the Kishida administration

Many newspapers are reporting on the sharp decline in the Kishida administration’s approval ratings.
I state “many newspapers” because the methodology for these types of surveys varies by newspaper company and results often differ.
This is because some newspapers, when dealing with a prime minister whose political stance differs from their own, use artful questions to obtain negative results.
Regarding this latest result, all newspaper companies generally show consistent values. In other words, it is clear that the Kishida administration’s approval ratings are on a downward trend.

Following the October 2021 House of Representatives election in which the Liberal Democratic Party(hereinafter called LDP) of Japan won a landslide victory, the Kishida administration was formed to succeed the Suga administration.

The Suga administration had many accomplishments, but some media outlets reported only criticism without mentioning any of these achievements.
Linking with this, an opposition coalition centered on the Constitutional Democratic Party that had joined forces with the Citizens’ Alliance and the Communist Party, and their supporters, waged a campaign of criticism on social media. Pressured by this criticism, the Suga administration denied it would continue.

Since the Kishida administration came to power, it feels like there haven’t been any notable developments. Rather, it seems like they’ve been just safely implementing policies.
Also, as reported in the media, the Kishida administration’s characteristic seems to be “governance that is conscious of media opinion”.
However, we believe the Kishida administration understands that there was significant bias in the social media and some news coverage that may have affected the Kan administration’s resignation.
In fact, the results of the recent House of Representatives and House of Councillors elections were contrary result to  what many social media and news coverage had predicted.
If governance prioritizes opinions repeatedly shouted on social media and certain news coverage, there is a danger of only hearing the loudest voices.
Extremely speaking, this stance risks negating the policies proposed during the election and even implementing completely opposite policies.
In other words, it risks ignoring the opinions of the silent majority while emphasizing the opinions of the noisy minority.

In nations that embrace diversity and free speech, diverse opinions naturally emerge through various media outlets.
However, supporters rarely post intentionally. Opponents overwhelmingly post to voice their thoughts and gain support.
If a government administration operates safely while constantly caring about social media and news coverage, it will ultimately be seen as indecisive.

As an elected party government, it should clearly define milestones for implementing the policies proposed during the election.
Within this process, it is necessary to define environmental variables that factor in constantly shifting circumstances and adjust those milestones accordingly.
Additionally, while responding to new events that most test the government’s capabilities, it is important to manage policies in line with the overall milestones.

If the Kishida administration cannot change the current situation, it should consider resignation.
Isn’t it time to hand over governance to a successor ?

Thanks.
2023/01/08