Today, NewsForKids.net looks at leadership changes in Japan, France, and the Czech Republic. Sanae Takaichi is likely to become Japan’s first female prime minister. In France, Sebastien Lecornu steps down as prime minister the day after announcing his cabinet. And right-wing politician Andrej Babis may become the Czech Republic’s next prime minister.
Takaichi Likely to Become Japan’s First Female Prime Minister
On Saturday, Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) chose Sanae Takaichi as its new leader. That makes it extremely likely that Ms. Takaichi will become Japan’s first female prime minister. It’s a huge step for Japan, where there are very few women in positions of leadership.
Ms. Takaichi is known as a tough politician. She wants Japan to have a stronger military and thinks Japan should stand up to China. Though she’s female, Ms. Takaichi isn’t seen as a strong supporter of women’s rights.
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On Saturday, Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) chose Sanae Takaichi as its new leader. Above, Ms. Takaichi bows as LDP members celebrate her win. Ms. Takaichi will likely become Japan’s first female prime minister – a huge step for Japan, where there are very few women in positions of leadership.
The LDP has led Japan for most of the last 70 years. But elections in July left the party with a minority in both houses of Japan’s Parliament. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in September that he would step down. The party is hoping Ms. Takaichi can make the party popular again. Parliament will vote on the next prime minister in mid-October.
French PM Lecornu Resigns the Day After Announcing Cabinet
On Monday, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu suddenly stepped down, the day after naming his cabinet. Mr. Lecornu served in the post for less than a month – the shortest term ever for a French prime minister.
France owes a lot of money, and Mr. Lecornu’s main job was to get parliament to agree on a spending plan that would deal with this debt. Mr. Lecornu complained that other political parties refused to work together. But many people were upset about the people he chose for his cabinet.
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On Monday, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu suddenly stepped down, the day after naming his cabinet. Mr. Lecornu served in the post for less than a month. He complained that other political parties refused to work together. Above, Mr. Lecornu goes to talk with reporters yesterday after resigning.
There’s now great pressure on President Emmanuel Macron to call new elections. If not, he’ll need to select France’s sixth prime minister in just two years.
After Mr. Macron suddenly called an election in June 2024, the results split parliament into three different groups – left, center, and far-right. The groups have very different positions, making it difficult to form coalitions that can work together.
Babis in Talks to Form Czech Government After Election Win
The right-wing “ANO” party of billionaire Andrej Babis has won parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, taking 34.5% of the vote. That could lead to Mr. Babis becoming the country’s prime minister again.
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The right-wing “ANO” party of billionaire Andrej Babis has won parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, taking 34.5% of the vote. That could lead to Mr. Babis becoming the country’s prime minister again. Above, Mr. Babis speaking to supporters on Saturday after ANO won.
Mr. Babis first served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021. There were many questions about possible corruption during his time in office.
But voters in the Czech Republic are worried that people and businesses in the country aren’t doing too well. Mr. Babis argued that the country was spending too much money helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia.
With just 80 seats out of the 200 in parliament, ANO doesn’t have a majority. Mr. Babis says he wants ANO to work as a minority government. That would make it hard to govern, and ANO would still need support from other political parties.
Before he can become prime minister, Mr. Babis will have to step away from his businesses to avoid conflicts of interest. He will also need approval from the Czech president.
(Front page image sources: Sanae: 首相官邸 [CC BY 4.0], Babis: Vox España [CC 0], Lecornu: Patrice Normand [CC BY-SA 4.0], all via Wikimedia Commons.)