Shinzo Abe’s re-election as Japanese prime minister is an important boost for his efforts to break the country’s long cycle of economic decline. As yet, many Japanese citizens have not felt the positive benefits of “Abenomics”, the programme designed to restore growth to an economy that has lain moribund for decades. It is therefore all the more welcome that the electorate had the patience to allow Mr Abe to pursue his ambitious reforms.
True, Mr Abe’s victory was not as emphatic as he may have liked. Turnout was at a record low. Many of the no-shows do not like Mr Abe but had nowhere else to go. His Liberal Democratic party actually lost seats. The ruling coalition’s gains came courtesy of the pacifist-leaning Komeito party, which is more cautious on issues of national security. Its performance should give Mr Abe pause.
The revival of the Japanese economy is the central question on which his premiership will be judged. Now that he has secured four more years for himself as prime minister, Mr Abe must use his new mandate to complete his ambitious programme of reform and restore sustainable growth to the world’s third-largest economy.