Tokyo: Difficult start for Kishida government

Approval rates toward the new prime minister range from 45% to 56%. These are lower than those of Suga when he took office. On October 14, the lower house of parliament will be dissolved in anticipation of general elections at the end of the month. 

Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The Kishida government is not off to the best start: according to various local polls, the approval rating for Japan's new prime minister is around 50%.

The Asahi Shimbun recorded an approval rating of 45%; 56% Nikkei. The percentages are much lower than when the previous government led by Yoshihide Suga took office and enjoyed a 66% approval rating.

"I'm aware of the polling results, but also believe that there is quite a gap depending on the company that conducted the survey," said Kishida to reporters on Wednesday morning.

"Regardless, I will reflect on my actions based on these results - including the low approval ratings - and continue to work hard toward the upcoming election," he said.

Although low for a new administration, the approval ratings are higher than those achieved by Suga just before the end of his term, when they had dropped to just over 30 percent due to his handling of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Kishida reported that he will dissolve the House of Representatives on October 14, while a general election is scheduled for later this month: handling the pandemic and economic recovery will take on even more importance for the government.

For single-seat districts, according to the Mainichi poll, 41% of respondents would vote for the governing coalition, 34% would give their vote to the opposition, and 24% were silent. For the Yomiuri, on the other hand, support for Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party is at 43%, up 7 percentage points from an earlier poll by the same newspaper.

The prime minister unveiled the new government on Monday. Although more than half of the ministerial roles were filled with new faces, the formation was also influenced by former premiers Shinzo Abe and Taro Aso.

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