Japan's parliament has elected Sanae Takaichi as the country's first female prime minister. Takaichi secured 237 votes in the 465-seat lower chamber and is expected to gain a majority in the upper house before her official swearing-in.
This historic appointment follows a coalition agreement between Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party and the right-wing Japan Innovation Party. The previous coalition partner, Komeito, which has a more centrist position, withdrew from the alliance. Takaichi's predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, resigned last month.
Takaichi's election signifies a significant political shift to the right for Japan. She is a conservative politician who admires Margaret Thatcher. Her premiership arrives at a time of national concern over the cost of living and immigration, with rising prices already fueling support for opposition parties, including far-right groups.
Despite shattering a gender barrier, Takaichi's political stance is notably conservative, with past opposition to measures promoting gender equality, support for male-only succession within the imperial family, and opposition to same-sex marriage and the use of separate surnames for married couples.
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