Former Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida won the elections for the leadership of the currently ruling Liberal Democratic party and is now set to become the country’s next prime minister. Kishida replaces the outgoing party leader, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who resigned just a year after his inauguration in September 2020. Kishida beat Taro Kono, the vaccination minister, in the ballot after passing al first round two female candidates Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda.
The election of the new prime minister is expected in Parliament on Monday, where his party and coalition partner have the majority. The new leader is under pressure to heal Suga’s reputation, criticized by citizens for managing the Covid-19 pandemic and for insisting on holding the Tokyo Olympics. Kishina called for growth and distribution under his “new capitalism”, saying that the economy with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has only benefited large corporations. The vote was expected as a test of the party’s ability to step out of Abe’s shadow, while Kishida is seen as a guarantee of political stability.