The Tamesis
February 19, 2026
Tokyo – Sanae Takaichi was elected as the 105th Prime Minister at a special session of the Diet on Wednesday. That night, she formed a second cabinet, reappointing all ministers from the first cabinet who had resigned en masse at a special cabinet meeting in the morning.
The deliberations have been delayed as the House of Representatives is dissolved for a general election and the government is rushing to pass a budget for the next fiscal year.
At the plenary session of the Diet, ahead of the vote to select the prime minister, Liberal Democratic Party member Mori Eisuke was elected speaker of the House of Representatives, and centrist Reform Alliance member Keiichi Ishii was elected deputy speaker.
After being selected as prime minister by the House of Representatives and the Senate, Koichi confirmed to Japan Innovation Party leader and Osaka Governor Hirobumi Yoshimura that the party would maintain the existing coalition government.
Given Takaichi’s short time since the first cabinet was formed in October and her emphasis on policy continuity, she has retained all previous ministers and brought in no one from the JIP.
Given Prime Minister Takaichi’s short time since her first cabinet formation in October and her emphasis on policy continuity, she has retained all previous ministers and brought in no names from the JIP. Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun
Following the Prime Minister’s canonization ceremony and the ministerial appointment certification ceremony held at the Imperial Palace, Takaichi will attend the first cabinet meeting of the new term tonight.
The House of Commons was dissolved at the start of the regular session of Parliament on January 23, significantly delaying consideration of the government’s budget bill. High City is expected to make every effort to get it passed as soon as possible.
Building on her party’s historic landslide victory in lower house elections earlier this month, she is likely to commit to advancing “responsible and proactive financial policies” and resolve to amend the constitution.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters on Wednesday morning, “We will respond seriously to the Diet’s deliberations to pass the budget bill as soon as possible.”
The special congressional session will last for 150 days, until July 17. There will be four government policy speeches on Friday, including one in Taka City.
After questions from representatives of all parties in both houses of Congress from February 24 to 26, the House of Representatives Budget Committee will begin substantive deliberations as early as February 27.
