Few members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, even those who are considered relatively liberal, dare to openly criticize their ultraconservative leader, Sanae Takaichi, who is also prime minister, amid unabated high public support for her.
Now that intraparty factions have been disbanded — apart from one led by Vice President Taro Aso — due to their long-term involvement in the creation of slush funds, party members critical of Takaichi find it difficult to funnel their voices into force, observers note.
On Thursday, the party’s General Council unanimously gave the nod to the Takaichi government-proposed initial budget for fiscal 2026 with the largest-ever general-account expenditures, despite concerns over her aggressive spending policy eroding the country’s fiscal discipline further.
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