Second Abe Cabinet | |
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96th Cabinet of Japan | |
26 December 2012 – 24 December 2014 | |
Date formed | December 26, 2012 |
Date dissolved | December 24, 2014 |
People and organisations | |
Head of state | Emperor Akihito |
Head of government | Shinzō Abe |
Deputy head of government | Tarō Asō |
Member party | Liberal Democratic–New Komeito Coalition |
Status in legislature | Divided Diet (Until 2013) HoR: Coalition supermajority HoC: Coalition minority (Before 2013), majority (After 2013) |
Opposition party | Democratic Party of Japan |
Opposition leader | Banri Kaieda |
History | |
Elections | 2012 general election 2013 councillors election |
Predecessor | Noda Cabinet |
Successor | Third Abe Cabinet |
The Second Abe Cabinet governed Japan under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe from December 2012 to December 2014. Following the return to power of the LDP in the 2012 general election, Abe, as party president, was elected Prime Minister by the National Diet on December 26, 2012, and presented his cabinet for swearing in by the Emperor later that day. Abe formed a coalition with the New Komeito Party, which has partnered with the LDP since the late 1990s, appointing former leader Akihiro Ota as Minister of Land. Together the two parties controlled a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, allowing the new government in most matters to override the veto of the upper house which was controlled by the opposition parties until July 2013.[1][2]
This cabinet was the most stable in post-war Japanese history, with no ministerial changes for 617 days until Abe conducted a reshuffle on September 3, 2014. The core ministers for Finance, Foreign Affairs, Economic Revival, Education, Land and the Chief Cabinet Secretary were all kept in post. In addition, Abe promoted 3 women to cabinet, matching the Koizumi cabinet's record of 5 women ministers.[3]
Following the 2014 general election, the Second Abe cabinet was dissolved on December 24, 2014, and replaced with the Third Abe cabinet.