Abe died
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot today during a campaign rally in the city of Nara while giving a speech, has died.
Friday, 08.07.2022.
11:20
Abe died
The news was reported by numerous world media and agencies, including Japanese state media.Abe was shot in the chest and back, and his assailant was arrested after the shooting. Abe was seriously wounded and did not show any signs of life on the spot. Doctors at the hospital where he was taken said Abe arrived with low consciousness and signs of life.
He lost a lot of blood and soon lost consciousness, the doctors announced, adding, at an emergency press conference, that all their efforts to keep Abe alive were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead.
Before stepping down as prime minister in 2020, Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister. He left the chancellery of the prime minister due to ill health. He advocated economic reforms and established key diplomatic relations. However, there were also scandals during his tenure.
Abe was considered a symbol of change and youth
Abe's first term was turbulent, plagued by scandal and controversy, and ended with his sudden resignation. After initially suggesting he was stepping down for political reasons, he admitted to suffering from what was later diagnosed as ulcerative colitis.
It is a chronic intestinal inflammation that required several months of treatment. Abe said he eventually beat the disease with the help of new drugs.
Abe's plan for Japan
His plan was "Abenomics" - a plan to revive the economy, which had been in stagnation for over 20 years. Abe's plan included massive government spending, massive monetary easing and cutting red tape.
Abe has also sought to boost the country's declining birth rate by making workplaces more parent-friendly, especially mothers. He pushed through controversial consumption tax hikes to help fund kindergartens and plug holes in Japan's overstretched welfare system.
Although there has been some progress in the reforms, the major structural problems of the economy have not disappeared. Deflation was still present and the economy was in recession even before the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2020. During the pandemic, Abe's popularity further declined as his approach to solving the problem was criticized as slow and confusing.
Abe and foreign policy
On the international political stage, Abe took a hard line on North Korea, but wanted to be a peacemaker between the U.S. and Iran.Abe also created a personal relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump, but he did not use that relationship to discuss with him issues that are important to Japan, such as North Korea and trade. In the end, Trump still wanted to force Japan to pay more for U.S. troops stationed in its country.
The former Japanese prime minister tried to repair ties with China and Russia as well. However, the agreement with Russia on the disputed northern islands was not reached, and the plan for Chinese President Xi Jinping to pay a state visit to Japan also failed.
Abe refused to compromise on South Korea and the unresolved war disputes, and continued with plans to revise Japan's pacifist constitution.
During his tenure, Abe weathered political "storms". He was supposed to remain prime minister until the end of 2021, but he stepped down, for the second time, in August 2020. Thus ended his second term of office.
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