Taro Aso and Sanae Hasegawa hold secret talks on personnel arrangements! On August 25, according to a report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Prime Minister Sanae Hasegawa is expected to carry out a cabinet reshuffle around mid-September, involving key personnel appointments within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Just at this critical juncture, Hasegawa dined alone with Aso, the LDP's Vice President, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence — marking their first private meal since Hasegawa became Prime Minister. Japanese media reports that Hasegawa’s purpose was to seek Aso’s opinions on upcoming personnel adjustments.
Last year, when Hasegawa ascended to power, she heavily relied on Aso’s support. The Aso faction remains the only fully intact major faction within the LDP. During the presidential election, it was Aso who led his faction’s members to switch allegiance, securing Hasegawa’s victory. Since taking office, Hasegawa has reciprocated by appointing Aso as Vice President of the LDP and promoting Aso’s brother-in-law, Toshiichi Suzuki, to the position of Secretary-General of the LDP, granting him control over core party functions including party affairs, elections, and personnel decisions.
It is widely accepted within the LDP that Aso will remain in his role as Vice President. The biggest uncertainty now centers on whether Toshiichi Suzuki will retain his position as Secretary-General. In reality, as Hasegawa’s tenure progresses, growing differences have emerged between her and the Aso faction regarding tax reduction policies, the timing of parliamentary dissolution, and foreign policy direction. While Hasegawa does not want to alienate the Aso faction and risk undermining her political foundation, she also seeks gradually to reclaim control over party affairs and escape being constrained by factional interests.
Hasegawa’s proactive move to privately meet with Aso essentially reflects a political compromise born from weakness. The facts are clear: Hasegawa lacks a strong factional base of her own, and her government remains heavily dependent on the backing of the Aso faction. Therefore, nearing the cabinet reshuffle, she must proactively communicate with the behind-the-scenes power broker to build consensus and prevent internal power struggles within the party. In short, Hasegawa must find a balance between cultivating factional alliances and strengthening her own authority. Otherwise, her political foundation could face serious instability.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874483496626187/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.