Japanese Prime Minister resigns in September

According to the Japanese public broadcaster, Fumio Kishida has informed a senior official of his intention not to run in the upcoming Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election. Several Japanese media outlets also reported on Wednesday about Kishida's decision to step down as leader of the ruling party in September.

The Prime Minister is expected to explain his decision at an upcoming press conference.

NHK notes that the statement from the Japanese leader comes in the wake of a recent scandal involving fundraising, which implicated several LDP factions.

"Recent opinion polls show that approval ratings for Kishida's Cabinet are low," the report adds.

Western analysts believe that Kishida's successor will face challenges such as rising prices, escalating geopolitical tensions, and the potential return of Donald Trump to the US presidency next year, writes Reuters.

Kishida's three-year premiership

If the current Japanese Prime Minister does not run in the early autumn elections for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, his term as Prime Minister is likely to end in September.

Kishida took office as Prime Minister of Japan on October 4, 2021, after becoming the LDP president on September 29, 2021.

Before this, he served as Japan's Foreign Minister from 2012 to 2017 under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and was a member of the House of Representatives from the Liberal Democratic Party.

During his tenure as Prime Minister, Kishida advocated for higher wages and increased defense spending in Japan.

Additionally, following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Japanese Prime Minister intensified Tokyo's support for Kyiv.

In mid-June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Kishida signed a security guarantee agreement.