Asian Insider

Will Suga still be Japan's PM at end of the year?

He faces battle to win back public trust after reactive Covid-19 response, political scandals

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaking at a press conference earlier this month, where he announced that additional prefectures would go under a state of emergency amid a surge in Covid-19 cases. His leadership will be put to the test when t
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaking at a press conference earlier this month, where he announced that additional prefectures would go under a state of emergency amid a surge in Covid-19 cases. His leadership will be put to the test when the ruling Liberal Democratic Party votes for its president for a three-year term in September - a vote he may lose if there is no quick turnaround in public support. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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Is the writing already on the wall for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga after only four months in office?

Analysts seem to think so. In what is a crucial election year for Japan, the 72-year-old's Cabinet approval ratings have taken a drastically steep plunge of as many as 30 percentage points.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 25, 2021, with the headline Will Suga still be Japan's PM at end of the year?. Subscribe