And a much longer hardly sustainable level

The Japan returned to one of its old demons: Government instability. Less than a year after its entry into service, his Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, announced yesterday that he resign. He was succeeded in September last to Shinzo Abe, who is himself remained in his position a small year. And it should be substituted for one year, here in the next legislative elections, an another cacique of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in power in the archipelago almost without interruption since more than half a century. Probably Taro Aso, the candidate with Yasuo Fukuda to the position of head of Government last year, appointed in July to the strategic position of Secretary General of the LDP.

The opposition majority in the upper House of Parliament, a claim, yesterday, once again, early elections, it shall, except surprise, still wait. The LDP can change of leader, which became de facto Prime Minister, without the test of the ballot box. The departure of Yasuo Fukuda aims, on the contrary, to best prepare the next statutory deadline in just one. Become very unpopular, the head of the outgoing Government seriously undermined the chances of electoral success of the LDP. His successor could restore some luster to the power training. "We need us to in order to cope with a new parliamentary session", acknowledged yesterday, Yasuo Fukuda, to explain his resignation.

The head of Government will have tried everything before the sponge. He had, inter alia, fully remodeled his ministerial team in early August and unveiled, not later than Friday, stimulus of EUR 73 billion. A device impressive at first glance, but in the final few new measures and which was therefore not convinced in the archipelago.

Lack of authority

The rating of popularity of Yasuo Fukuda still lost nine points these days, falling to 29, according to a survey released yesterday by the daily affairs "Nikkei". Is the flow of before the reworking of this summer. And a much longer hardly sustainable level.

Chosen just default to replace Shinzo Abe a year ago, Yasuo Fukuda has never really known print its mark and to impose. The man of the shadows, son of a former Prime Minister and grey ex-éminence of the charismatic head of Government Junichiro Koizumi came to power on the later, seventy-one years. And was very difficult to do so, because of the incessant parliamentary guerrilla opposition and his lack of authority over his own troops. Moderate, more customary of apparatus that media jousting battles, Yasuo Fukuda was upsetting to plot a guideline, to issue a clear message. Except perhaps in foreign policy, his field of choice. The difference of its very nationalist predecessors, the head of the outgoing Government reached almost to normalize relations with China and the Korea of the South, very tense in recent years. A reconciliation crowned by a long visit in the archipelago of the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, in the spring.

Fire of dam

One thing is certain, the successor of Yasuo Fukuda, what it will not the task easy. Energized by his new resignation at the top of the State, the opposition will still increase the pressure and multiply the firing of dam in Parliament. Left to paralyse the action of the Government at the wrong time.

The GDP of the world's second economy, indeed, fell 0.6 in the second quarter from the first and threatens to withdraw again. Main engine of the activity, exports fell by 2.3 in the spring, due to the settlement of the claim in the United States and Europe.

"Designate someone else to this place will probably the difference", assured, yesterday, Yasuo Fukuda, in presenting his resignation. Nothing is less sure.