Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a rally related to abduction victims held in Tokyo on the 3rd. UPI Yonhap News

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will answer her first questions by party leaders since taking office on the 4th in the House of Representatives (lower house) of the National Diet of Japan.

Asahi Shimbun and NHK reported that questions by party leaders to Prime Minister Takaichi will begin at the extraordinary Diet session on this day. This round of questions will start in the House of Representatives on the 4th, continue in the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives on the 5th, and then take place in the House of Representatives on the 6th. Representative questions refers to party leaders and other executives posing questions in the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors regarding the prime minister policy speech, and at the regular Diet in January questions are made about the policy speech on government affairs. Earlier, on the 24th of last month, Prime Minister Takaichi delivered her first policy statement since taking office.

Asahi reported that Noda Yoshihiko, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and Fumitake Fujita, co leader of the Japan Innovation Party that has formed a coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party, are expected to press Takaichi on measures against high prices, a proactive fiscal policy, bringing forward the timing of increases in defense spending, and cutting the number of Diet seats. In particular, opposition parties are expected to continue questioning the administration for pursuing policies such as higher defense spending and active fiscal expansion without presenting funding sources.

The Japanese government plans to submit to the Diet next month a supplementary budget bill that includes an increase in defense spending, and this is one of the major subjects for debate in the extraordinary session. Asahi predicted that depending on the answers she gives during the party leaders questions, the passage of the budget bill itself could be put at risk.

Regarding the cut in the number of Diet members that the Liberal Democratic Party accepted as a condition for forming a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party, backlash is emerging not only from the opposition but also within the Liberal Democratic Party. In particular, small parties that could find it difficult to maintain their seats if the number of lawmakers is reduced are strongly opposing it. In addition, reform of corporate and organization donations (contributions) is also expected to be a focus during the representative questions.

Asahi projected that even after the Liberal Democratic Party forms a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party, the difficulties of a minority ruling party will continue, and that confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties due to political reforms such as cutting the number of Diet seats is bound to intensify.