Policy Speech of Takaichi in Special Diet Session

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gave a policy speech to the Diet on February 20th. Although this policy speech has been made every January at the beginning of ordinary session, it delayed this year due to Takaichi’s dissolution of the Lower House and general election. The policy speech included no new policy, despite her sweeping victory in the election, indicating that she had no specific agenda to implement backed by overwhelming public approval. 

As she did in the policy speech last October, Takaichi stressed her economic slogan called “responsible and proactive public finances.” It is still unclear what this mantra means.

 

Takaichi insisted that she would promote domestic investment which had been falling short of. She insisted that she would promote “strategic investment,” which literal translation would be “crisis-management investment,” including economic security, food security, energy security, health-medical security or cyber security. Those policies have already been included in her policy speech last fall.

 

As she reiterated in her campaign speeches of the Lower House election, Takaichi declared that she would not deliver a supplemental budget, which former premiers have been formed every fall. While she explains this policy as to enhance predictability of national budget for private sectors and local governments, she did not tell about how this reform would contribute to Japan’s economy. It is curious why she is so persistent in changing budgetary system.

 

Prime minister’s policy speech is made by various requests from ministries. Takaichi’s speech covered policies from ministries of agriculture, infrastructure, education or internal affairs. However, Takaichi most focused on policies of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). It indicates that her administration is heavily leaning on METI as former Shinzo Abe administration was.

 

On diplomacy, Takaichi no longer referred to “diplomacy that flourishes on the world’s center stage” which she presented last fall. Instead, she began to say “responsible Japanese diplomacy,” which would create peace and prosperity. She seems to have realized that Japan would not be able to “flourish” in the world where major power aggresses a sovereign country with violation of international law.

 

It is doubtful whether she recognizes the consequence of her careless speech on Taiwan contingency last November. She told about no realistic measure to improve bilateral relations with China, which has been putting pressure on Japan after the Takaichi’s speech. She shortly described on relations with China, just saying she would promote “a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests,” building constructive and stable relationship and keep the channel of talks.

 

One thing new in her policy speech was restructuring Air Self-defense Force into “Air and Space Self-defense Force.” She did not say about the details of the organization. Although she is willing to revise “three principles for transfer of defense equipment” or establishing National Intelligence Council,” their purpose is still unclear.

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