Japan's Abe Records Lowest Approval Rating Since Return to Power... "Lack of Leadership"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's approval ratings are hitting record lows across the board. This is interpreted as a result of accumulated dissatisfaction within Japanese society regarding the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) crisis.

According to a public opinion poll of voters released on the 8th by Nihon Keizai Shimbun and private broadcaster TV Tokyo, 38% of respondents said they support the Abe Cabinet. The survey was conducted from the 5th to the 7th, showing an 11 percentage point drop compared to the survey conducted from April 8 to 10, marking the lowest level since Abe’s return to power in December 2012.

The percentage of respondents who do not support the Abe Cabinet rose by 9 percentage points to 51%, surpassing half. This is the first time in about four months, since February this year, that critical opinions of the Cabinet outnumber supportive ones. Among those who said they do not support the Abe Cabinet, 30% cited "lack of leadership" as the reason. This is interpreted as significant dissatisfaction with the government’s response following the spread of COVID-19. In particular, 73% of respondents evaluated the Japanese government’s decision to provide 100,000 yen (approximately 1.11 million won) per resident as "too late."

In a poll conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun during the same period, the percentage of respondents who do not support the Abe Cabinet rose by 2 percentage points to 50%, exceeding half for the first time in 2 years and 2 months. The percentage of respondents dissatisfied with the Japanese government’s economic measures was 64%, more than double those who were satisfied (27%). As for the most suitable candidate for the next prime minister, former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba received the highest choice at 26%, followed by Prime Minister Abe (15%) and Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (15%).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.