- Japan’s parliament elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister, ending a three-month political vacuum following the resignation of Shigeru Ishiba.
- Takaichi, 64, received 237 votes in the parliament’s 465-seat lower house.
- Her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) formed a coalition with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party (JIP). However, the coalition remains two seats short of a parliamentary majority, requiring further support from opposition lawmakers to pass legislation.
- Takaichi appointed 19 ministers, including only two women, Satsuki Katayama as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as economic security minister, despite pledges to increase female representation in government.
- She is expected to pursue a conservative agenda, including higher defense spending, constitutional revision, strengthening security ties with the U.S., and stricter immigration policies.
Sanae Takaichi Elected Japan’s First Female Prime Minister
