Ishiba Shigeru won today’s leadership election in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, setting him up to become PM following an Oct. 1 parliamentary vote. He will succeed Kishida Fumio, who announced he would step down last month amid dismally low approval ratings for his government. (New York Times)
Our Take
Ishiba’s victory is in some ways a surprise. He has long been considered something of an outsider within the LDP, with his outspokenness and willingness to publicly criticize the party leadership often alienating him from its powerbrokers. That explains why he lost in each of the four times he previously ran for the party leader position.
But what was once an obstacle to Ishiba’s ambitions within the party has now seemingly become an asset. The long-dominant LDP became embroiled in a financial scandal late last year, leading to renewed calls for the party to clean up its act, something that Ishiba has long advocated for. Those calls, alongside a general sentiment among party members that the LDP needs a truly fresh face at the top, likely tipped the balance in his favor.