On February 18, Ms. Sanae Takaichi was re-elected Prime Minister of Japan at a special session of the Japanese Parliament after the historic overwhelming victory of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the general election on February 8.
According to the plan, the National Assembly will hold a special session lasting 150 days, from February 18 to July 17, with initial discussions expected to focus on the draft initial budget for fiscal year 2026 starting from April.
Before the session began, Ms. Takaichi's cabinet resigned simultaneously according to the provisions of the Constitution. She was chosen as Prime Minister in the session of the House of Representatives. According to the plan, the new cabinet composition will be announced at the end of February 18.
All ministers in Ms. Takaichi's first cabinet, including Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, are expected to continue to hold their positions.
Ms. Takaichi is expected to hold a press conference on the same evening to explain the "responsible but drastic" fiscal policy as well as the plan to temporarily suspend consumption tax collection for food products for 2 years, which the LDP pledged in the general election campaign.
The victory in the House of Representatives election has added motivation for Ms. Takaichi and her party in implementing the policies they have set out, including expansionary fiscal measures.
The House of Representatives elected Mr. Eisuke Mori, a veteran MP of the LDP and former Minister of Justice, as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Mr. Keiichi Ishii, a member of the Central Reform Alliance (CRA) belonging to the main opposition, as Vice Chairman.
The House of Representatives may reject the Senate's decision to pass bills with the support of two-thirds of the parliamentarians. In the Senate, the ruling bloc remains minority after the LDP's defeat in the July 2025 election.
Ms. Takaichi, who is known for her conservative political stance and tough security views, has expressed her willingness to promote peaceful constitutional amendments - LDP's long-term goal. However, there are still many procedural barriers to amending this supreme law, as proposals need to receive support from two-thirds of parliamentarians in both houses of Parliament before being put to a national referendum.
