Japan towards 2024 general elections

Shortly after having been elected Japan's Prime Minister in September 2024, Ishiba Shigeru called elections to the house of representatives (the lower house) to be held on 27 October. The vote will follow an intensive 12-day electoral campaign, against a backdrop of scandals involving members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), rising consumer prices, staple food shortages and security concerns over regional tensions. While this may weaken the LDP's majority, a divided opposition might find it hard to take over the reins, held by the LDP almost uninterruptedly since its foundation in 1955. Under the leadership of Ishiba's predecessor, Kishida Fumio, a former foreign affairs minister, Japan continued to place itself as a key player in international diplomacy, with a renewed emphasis on multilateralism. This gained Ishiba the praise and respect of United States (US) President Joe Biden, in particular for successfully adopting major changes to Japan's defence policy, maintaining global attention on Ukraine and exerting pressure on Russia while holding the G7 presidency, and contributing to a new era in the Japan-South Korea-US relationship. On the domestic front, however, the Kishida administration was unable to deliver the changes promised. The European Union (EU) and Japan have been strategic partners since 2003. Bilateral relations are based on two milestone agreements signed in July 2018: the Economic Partnership Agreement and the Strategic Partnership Agreement. EU-Japan cooperation includes a Green Alliance, a Connectivity Partnership and a Digital Partnership. The two parties have also been deepening their cooperation on security and defence. The European Parliament has previously emphasised the EU's interest in deepening and broadening the EU-Japan partnership, not only bilaterally but also in multilateral contexts.