Shinzo Abe, the charismatic former Japanese Prime Minister, died on July 8th, 2022 due to an attack by a lone assailant during a campaign event in Nara. This event occurred two days before the partial elections for the upper house of parliament, which the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) led by Abe won comfortably. Abe, born in 1954 into a political family, was an unconventional politician for Japan's standards. He had a clear vision of Japan's role in the world and how to achieve it, particularly focusing on securing Japan's security against China's emergence.
Abe's most notable achievement was his advocacy for reforming Article 9 of Japan's constitution, which limits military actions. However, this obsession was met with opposition from the majority of the population. His first term as prime minister was brief, lasting exactly one year, following Junichiro Koizumi's resignation. Abe returned to power after five years, during which he distanced himself from politics. His second term began after a five-year period and demonstrated his ability to learn from past mistakes, focusing initially on reviving Japan's stagnant economy through 'Abenomics', a political communication success launched in 2012.
Despite various policies aimed at revitalizing the economy and addressing demographic aging, such as promoting women's participation in the workforce and implementing a modest migration policy, Abe's legacy is especially projected internationally and in Asia. His vision of confronting China transformed into the approach guiding the current rivalry between China and the US, influencing the strategic repositioning of the European Union in Asia.
Internally, Abe's government faced deep divisions within the opposition, which was deemed unreliable by voters. Abe maintained his agenda despite the majority of the public's opposition. He successfully reinterpreted the terms under which the Japanese military could intervene in collective security, leading to the creation of a National Security Council that increased the executive's influence over strategic and security policies.
In terms of international relations, Abe was a trusted ally in Washington, supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free trade agreement involving 11 countries including Japan, which aimed to set commercial norms and standards in the region, despite criticism from some sectors of Japanese industry. After Donald Trump withdrew the US from the TPP, Japan took over leadership in negotiations that resulted in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Regarding domestic issues, Abe's legacy includes the unification of politics at the expense of democratic pluralism, with a fragmented and disoriented opposition, high abstention rates, and a more confrontational government towards critical media outlets. Abe's death has raised questions about the motivation behind the attack, highlighting the complexity surrounding the incident and the vulnerability of certain social groups in Japan, as well as the relationship between politics and specific religious groups. Abe leaves behind a controversial but influential legacy, with significant implications for Japanese politics and democracy. The ultimate decision on how to describe his leadership will lie with the Japanese people.
