Shinzo Abe: Japan’s indispensable conservative
https://mailchi.mp/da197e976039/shinzo-abe-japans-indispensable-conservative?e=7f5d6321a5
Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated today while electioneering, was his country’s indispensable man. Prime minister of Japan for much of this century, from 2006 to 2007 and 2012 to 2020, Abe’s stature on the world stage eclipsed that of other post-war Japanese leaders, just as his time in office surpassed them all.
For a taste of the shock of his murder, look back to the surprise and incredulity which met his resignation from office in the pandemic’s worst days. Plagued by a debilitating health condition which had earlier caused him to leave office in 2007, Abe concluded he did not have the stamina left to rule.
Outside observers of Japan — who had watched Abe consolidate domestic power, develop a new economic regime, and increasingly come to personify his country in foreign capitals — were left almost speechless. “What will his country do now?” they asked at that time.
For some, that might seem an absurd question. Japan is politically decorous, and notably stable. It is not normally beholden to rancor and political violence. Abe’s successors should have counted upon stable institutions and political deference to give them the chance to run the country in their own ways.
Yet of the two prime ministers there have been since, neither has managed to strike out for themselves. Yoshihide Suga, a man of age and authority, managed to mishandle both Covid and the Olympics — becoming historically unpopular. He was gone within a year. Fumio Kishida, who followed Suga, won an election at the head of the party of government, but lost seats in the process. Abe remained influential to both men.
Comments are closed.
