The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and two key opposition parties — both eager to have their signature policies reflected in the fiscal 2025 budget — are in an all-out battle of nerves as the government aims for the budget to clear the Lower House in the next week.
Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) are intensifying their rhetoric, confident that the ruling coalition needs their support for the budget. The LDP has shown signs of frustration over the two parties’ entrenched resistance in the negotiations over education reform, social insurance and the tax-free income threshold.
The LDP, Komeito and Nippon Ishin on Friday morning failed to reach a compromise over the language for a reduction in the burden of social insurance premiums on households in a potential agreement.