Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a proponent of ultraconservatism and a hard line on immigration, should regain a large majority in the lower house of Parliament at the end of the legislative elections for which the Japanese voted on Sunday, according to media projections announced after the end of the vote.

Published on: 02/08/2026 - 12:33 Modified on: 02/09/2026 - 00:40

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The Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) of conservative Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi should regain a large majority in the lower house of Parliament at the end of the legislative elections, according to media projections announced on the evening of Sunday February 8.

The ruling party is expected to win between 274 and 328 seats, compared to 198 previously, in the Assembly which has 465, according to projections by public television channel NHK, based on exit polls.

The official results should not be known until Monday during the day.

The American president welcomed Sanae Takaichi's "overwhelming victory": "It was an honor for me to support you and your coalition. I wish you great success in implementing your conservative program, focused on peace through strength," wrote Donald Trump in a publication on his Truth Social network.

The LDP and its coalition partner Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) could obtain up to 366 elected representatives in the House of Representatives, which has 465 seats. With 310 seats, the alliance would be able to override the decisions of the upper house, controlled by the opposition.

The new centrist reformist Alliance, bringing together the main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), and the former PLD partner, Komeito, could for its part lose more than two thirds of its current seats.

As for the anti-immigration Sanseito party, it could hold between 5 and 14 seats, compared to two currently, NHK said.

Soaring cost of living

“We have received voter support for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's responsible and proactive budgetary policies as well as strengthening national defense capabilities,” PLD Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki told the media after the first figures were announced.

Sanae Takaichi promised on Sunday evening to pursue a “responsible” budgetary policy and “build a strong and resilient economy”, while his first announcements panicked the markets and caused Japanese debt yields to jump.

The leader notably announced a recovery plan equivalent to more than 110 billion euros and promised to exempt food products from the 8% consumption tax in order to mitigate the impact on households of the soaring cost of living.

Inflation is one of the main areas of concern as price increases have remained above 2% for almost three years.

Sanae Takaichi also caused trouble a week ago by touting the advantages of a weak yen, even though his Finance Minister repeated that Tokyo would intervene to support the currency.

“An iron lady” admirer of Margaret Thatcher

For this election, which began in the snow in the capital and a large part of the country, Sanae Takaichi, 64, hoped to boost the scores of the PLD (nationalist right) which she has led since the fall.

On January 19, the Prime Minister announced the dissolution of the lower house of Parliament, triggering a historic 16-day blitzkrieg. Riding on a very good popularity rating, she even made it a personal matter, asking voters: "Is Takaichi suitable to be Prime Minister? I wanted to let the sovereign people decide."

Also read: Sanae Takaichi, the ultra-conservative who dreams of being Japan's "Iron Lady"

This great admirer of Margaret Thatcher is committed to “pushing the growth button”. As for immigration, the criteria "have already become a little stricter, so that terrorists, but also industrial spies, cannot enter easily", she said.

His program, which notably includes an increase in spending and tax cuts, is closely scrutinized by the financial markets, which are wondering about the financing of his measures in a country already heavily in debt.

With Reuters and AFP

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