Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to an opposition question in the Lower House plenary session on Nov. 4. (Takeshi Iwashita)

EDITORIAL: It’s Takaichi’s duty to carry out clear Diet policy discussions

（社説）首相初の論戦　衆議重視　問われる実践

Representatives of the various parties in the Diet have begun questioning Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about her first policy speech.

One point of contention was how she would explain parts of her speech that were not specific and why she did not mention items that were contained in the coalition agreement with Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party).

But Takaichi's responses often did not try to address those questions head-on.

She must present as soon as possible the overall picture of the policies she wants to implement, including the stable revenue source to pay for such programs and any possible side effects.

A typical example was trying to define what a “responsible aggressive fiscal policy” that the Takaichi administration has come out with means.

Takaichi was asked about the revenue source, whether she expected an increase in tax revenues and if she planned to increase issuance of government bonds.

But Takaichi only replied, “We will come up with specific measures in the process of dealing with that issue in the future.”

She also said continued consideration would be given for a stable revenue source to cover the abolishment by year-end of the provisional gasoline tax rate that the ruling and opposition parties have agreed to.

While Takaichi has said she wants to push forward a comprehensive strengthening of defense capabilities, she only said in her Diet response that continued consideration would be given to raising taxes as a stable revenue source to pay for that move.

Those responses lacked specifics and if future generations are made to eventually pay for what will be spent now, that cannot be called responsible politics.

In her policy speech, Takaichi did not touch upon the money scandal involving the former factions of her Liberal Democratic Party or about revising a law on donations from companies and organizations.

She only said she would make every effort to restore trust in politicians.

Yoshihiko Noda, the head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, first raised the topic of money in politics and asked Takaichi to agree to limiting the entities that can accept donations from companies and organizations.

But she did not take an aggressive stance, only saying that such a proposal was closely tied to the freedom to engage in political activities of companies and organizations.

Is she perhaps thinking that the public will soon forget the matter if nothing is done?

Noda said the coalition between the LDP and Nippon Ishin meant the administration now had two accelerators and he declared that his party, firmly rooted as a middle-of-the-road one, would serve as a brake.

For his part, Fumitake Fujita, the Nippon Ishin co-head, started off by boasting that a genuine reformist conservative coalition government had been established.

He described the 12 items in the coalition agreement his party reached with the LDP as “12 arrows” and asked Takaichi how serious she was about implementing them.

She responded by saying consideration and implementation of the various policies would be made according to the agreed-upon schedule.

She emphasized her intent to aggressively tackle issues that have long been pushed by Nippon Ishin, such as creating a secondary capital, making senior high school education free and revising the Constitution.

Nippon Ishin has also called for reducing the number of Lower House seats, a reform that could cut into public will.

While Takaichi said her party would make every effort to realize that goal, she added that a broad consensus covering the ruling and opposition parties would have to be reached.

She added that her administration would also hold thorough discussions with the various parties regarding a proposed people’s conference to discuss the future of social security.

In concluding her policy speech, Takaichi quoted from the 17-article Constitution written up by Prince Shotoku in the seventh century and said she would stress discussions by many people that the prince called for in the document.

She will now face the test of putting those words into practice by striving carefully to strike agreements amid the political landscape of a multi-party Diet.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 5

高市首相の所信表明演説に対する各党の代表質問が始まった。演説では詳しく語らなかったこと、日本維新の会との連立合意にありながら、演説では触れなかったことをどう説明するかが注目されたが、正面からの回答を避ける場面が少なくなかった。安定財源や副作用を含む施策の全体像を早期に提示すべきだ。
　典型例が、政権が掲げる「責任ある積極財政」とは何かだ。財源や税収増の見込み、国債増発の有無を尋ねられた首相は、「今後取り組みを進める中で具体化していく」と述べるだけだった。
　与野党が合意したガソリンの旧暫定税率の年内廃止に伴う安定財源も「引き続き検討」。防衛力の抜本的強化を前倒しする方針を示しながら、財源を確保するための増税については「引き続き検討」と、いずれも具体性を欠いた。将来世代にツケを回すことになれば、「責任ある」政治とは言えない。
　演説では、自民党の派閥の裏金問題や企業・団体献金の見直しには直接触れず、ただ政治への信頼回復に全力で取り組むとしか語らなかった。
　立憲民主党の野田佳彦代表は最初に「政治とカネ」の問題を取り上げ、企業・団体献金の受け皿規制に応じるよう求めたが、首相は「企業・団体の政治活動の自由にかかわる」と後ろ向きな姿勢に終始した。このまま何もしなくても、国民はいずれ忘れるとでも思っているのだろうか。
　野田氏は自民・維新の連立を「アクセルが二つになった政権」と評し、「中道」に軸足を置いてブレーキ役を果たすと「宣言」した。
　一方、維新の藤田文武共同代表は質問の冒頭、「本格的な改革保守連立政権」ができたと自賛。首相に対し、１２項目にわたる連立政権合意を「１２本の矢」と表現し、実現への決意を迫った。
　首相は「合意したスケジュールに従って確実に検討・実施する」と応じ、副首都構想や高校無償化、改憲など、維新が特に重視する個別の課題についても、積極的に取り組む姿勢を強調した。
　「民意を切る」改革になりかねない衆院議員の定数削減については、「党として全力で取り組む」とする一方、与野党の幅広い賛同が必要との考えも示した。社会保障をめぐる国民会議のあり方や議論の進め方も、各党とよく相談して取り組むと述べた。
　首相は演説の結びで聖徳太子の十七条の憲法を引用し、「衆議」を重視する考えを示した。多党化が進む状況下で、丁寧な合意形成を図れるか、その実践が問われる。

(2025年11月5日)