After beginning in January amid concerns of political paralysis under a minority Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition, parliament wraps up Sunday with the LDP and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba showing they can work with opposition parties individually and collectively to pass the budget and select pieces of legislation.
With parliamentary business concluding, all eyes are on next month’s Upper House election, as the LDP and ruling coalition partner Komeito look to retain their majority, while pocketbook economic issues are at the top of voter concerns.
The LDP-Komeito coalition was forced to seek opposition party cooperation following their loss of majority in October’s Lower House election, which Ishiba had called. The current session of parliament began with questions about whether the 2025 budget would be passed by April 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
