英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 1, 2013)
Regain national strength through political stability
政治の安定で国力を取り戻せ　（1月1日付・読売社説）

　◆成長戦略練り直しは原発から◆

Japan stands at a crossroads of whether it can maintain its national strength and retain its status as a major power.
　日本は、国力を維持し、先進国の地位を守れるかどうかの岐路に立たされている。

National strength is the total power of a country, comprising such elements as economic and military might, and technological prowess. The primary task of the administration led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to maintain and enhance Japan's strength through political stability.
　国力は、経済力、防衛力、技術力などで構成される、その国の総合力だ。安倍政権の使命は、政治の安定によって、国力を維持・向上させることにある。

Boosting national strength will lead to improved social security systems, including pension and health care programs, and reinforce national security policy. That will also shore up disaster management measures and solidify social infrastructure, while accelerating reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
　それが、年金・医療などの社会保障制度の充実、安全保障政策の強化につながる。防災対策や公共インフラの維持、東日本大震災からの復興も加速しよう。

Political stability is also important for Japan to regain its voice and presence in the international community.
　政治の安定は、国際社会における発言力や存在感を回復するにも重要だ。

As former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama created strains in the Japan-U.S. alliance while he was in office, Japan's relations with China, South Korea and Russia also deteriorated. Reorganizing the nation's diplomatic strategy is a matter of urgency.
鳩山元首相が日米同盟を不安定にしたため、中国、韓国、ロシアとの関係も悪化した。外交の立て直しは喫緊の課題だ。

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Upper house poll a key moment
　◆参院選が最大のヤマ場◆

The Abe administration's biggest political objective this year is for the Liberal Democratic Party he leads and its coalition partner, New Komeito, to win a majority in the House of Councillors election scheduled for this summer, thereby bringing an end to the divided Diet.
　安倍政権の今年最大の政治目標は、夏の参院選で自民、公明両党で過半数を占め、衆参ねじれ国会を解消することである。

Depending on the outcome of the election, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) and Your Party might join the ruling coalition. But this will be premised on the assumption that it will add stability to the administration.
　選挙結果次第では、日本維新の会やみんなの党が新たに連立に参加することもあり得るが、政権の安定に資することが前提だ。

If Abe's administration retains a majority in the upper house, the nation's political arena will enter a "stable phase," as there will be up to three years before the next national election is to be held, and more than two years before the next LDP presidential election.
　安倍政権が参院で過半数を確保すれば、次の国政選挙まで最大３年、次期総裁選まで２年余あるため、政治は「安定期」に入る。

This will make it possible for the administration to tackle its major political agenda and pending policy issues without being tripped up by resorting to populism.
　大衆迎合（ポピュリズム）に足をすくわれることもなく、大きな政治テーマや懸案の政策に取り組むことも可能になろう。

For instance, the administration will be able to propose the enactment of a "Basic Law on National Security" that would enable the nation to exercise its right to collective self-defense, although the LDP will need to coordinate views with Komeito on this issue.
　例えば、公明党との調整が必要だが、集団的自衛権の行使を可能にする「国家安全保障基本法」の制定を提案することもできる。

It is crucial for the government to approve the use of the right to collective self-defense and to reinforce the Japan-U.S. alliance so it can deal better with the nuclear and missile development of North Korea, and tensions that have emerged with China since the government nationalized some of the Senkaku Islands last year.
　尖閣諸島国有化をめぐる中国との対立、北朝鮮の核・ミサイル開発などに対処するためには、集団的自衛権の行使を容認し、日米同盟を強化することが必要だ。

We hope ruling and opposition parties hold thorough discussions and reach a common understanding on the issue.
こうした認識を共有できるよう、与野党で議論を重ねてもらいたい。

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Manage administration moderately
　◆節度ある政権運営を◆

In last month's House of Representatives election, the LDP and Komeito together won more than two-thirds of the seats in the lower house. This will enable the coalition to have bills voted down in the upper house enacted by a second vote in the lower chamber.
　先の衆院選で自民、公明両党が法案の再議決が可能な定数の３分の２を超える議席を獲得した。

The fact of the matter is that voters opted for stable politics and politics that can move forward, under the administration of the LDP and Komeito, both of which have extensive experience in managing the government.
政権担当経験がある自公両党による安定した政治、前に進める政治を、有権者が選択した結果にほかならない。

Further political dithering can be averted now that the DPJ has been kicked out of power. In addition, it may be said that political instability that could have arisen if a strong third political party had joined a coalition government has been prevented.
　民主党政権のさらなる迷走だけでなく、第３極の政権参加による混乱も回避したと言えよう。

The Democratic Party of Japan was demoted to an opposition party after suffering a crushing defeat in the general election, but it still has the second-largest number of seats in the lower house and remains a party with a plurality in the upper house. For the time being, the LDP-Komeito coalition government will need to obtain cooperation from the DPJ while exploring ways of forming a partial coalition involving third political forces.
　民主党は大敗して下野したが、衆院でなお第２党にある。参院では引き続き第１党を占めている。当面、自公民３党の連携を軸に、第３極を含めた部分連合を模索する必要がある。

The DPJ is expected to step up its confrontational stance toward the Abe administration in a bid to regain ground in the upper house election set for this summer.
　民主党は参院選での巻き返しを期して、安倍政権への対決姿勢を強めてくるだろう。

In the 2007 upper house poll, the Abe-led LDP suffered a bitter defeat, handing the opposition camp control of the upper chamber and creating a divided Diet. Recent years have seen repeated cases of the party that won big in the lower house suffering a setback in the next upper house poll due to a swing in public support.
　安倍首相には、２００７年の参院選で苦杯を喫し、衆参ねじれを作った過去もある。衆院選で大勝した政権が、民意の揺り戻しによって、次の参院選で敗北するケースが続いている。

Abe must maintain disciplined management of his administration by diligently seeking to build consensus.
　首相に求められるのは、丁寧に合意形成を目指す、節度ある政権運営である。

First and foremost, he must tackle the tasks of resuscitating Japan's economy and restoring economic growth.
　真っ先に取り組むべき課題は、経済再生と成長力回復だ。