Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru used a post-election press conference to express his determination to remain in power despite his party’s defeat in Sunday’s upper house elections.
He will likely survive at least through 1 August, when US tariffs are set to take effect, but Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) backbenchers have vocally criticized Ishiba and have begun organizing a movement that could potentially oust him.
It is unclear whether any successor could manage the LDP’s “twin crises” better than Ishiba has, but the party may be more willing to try under a new leader than let Ishiba continue with a diminished mandate.
