Yukio Edano

Yukio Edano (枝野 幸男, Edano Yukio; born 31 May 1964) is a Japanese politician who served as the leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan from its formation in 2017 until 2021.

He has served in various significant political roles, including the 3rd Policy Research Council Chairperson of the former Democratic Party of Japan, the 6th Policy Research Council Chairperson of the Democratic Party, the 140th Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, the 16th Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Minister of State for the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation, the inaugural Secretary-General of the Democratic Party for the People, the inaugural leader of the former Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the inaugural leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and the Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Audit and Oversight of Administration.

He was elected to parliament in the 1993 Japanese general election under the Japan New Party, and served briefly in the governments of Morihiro Hosokawa, Tsutomu Hata, Tomiichi Murayama, and the first Ryutaro Hashimoto cabinet before leaving the New Party Sakigake to join the Democratic Party in 1998. He then held various roles inside the party, and upon the group's landslide victory in the 2009 election, served roles in all three opposition cabinets. He was a major part of the response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Following the defeat of the Democratic Party in 2012, he held his seat in parliament, and joined the various opposition groups that formed around the time, including the 2016 form of the Democratic Party. With his attempt to join Kibō no Tō being blocked by Yuriko Koike's refusal to let liberal members of the former Democratic Party inside the group, he left to form the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan for liberal factions of the former party, which he led to a surprising second place finish in the 2017 Japanese general election.

Following the CDP's poor performance in the 2021 general election, Edano announced on 2 November his intention to resign as leader of the party, triggering a leadership election.

Lue lisää...