Losses in three special elections for parliamentary seats in a single day have left Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in search of a way to quickly boost support or risk joining a long list of short-serving prime ministers.
Support for Suga, who succeeded his long-time boss, Shinzo Abe, last year, has been dragged down by corruption scandals and a sluggish COVID-19 response. The triple loss in the weekend elections came on the same day that a new virus emergency was imposed on about a quarter of the population, adding to Suga’s woes with the clock ticking for a general election that must be held within six months.
The Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition is unlikely to lose control of the government, given weak public support for opposition parties, meaning the current agenda of ultraloose monetary policy and close ties with the U.S. will probably remain. Suga, however, could be replaced as leader after only a year in office if he leads his party to a substantially reduced majority.