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NBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
Why a 'mini Trump' is breaking through in Japan
TOKYO — As President Donald Trump's tariffs add to a sense of uncertainty in Japan, more voters here are embracing an idea inspired by their longtime ally the United States: 'Japanese first.' The nationalist slogan helped the right-wing populist party Sanseito make big gains in Japan's parliamentary elections on Sunday, as it capitalized on economic malaise and concerns about immigration and overtourism. Party leader Sohei Kamiya, who since 2022 had held Sanseito's only seat in the upper house of Japan's parliament, will now be joined by 14 others in the 248-seat chamber. It's a far cry from the party's origin as a fringe anti-vaccination group on YouTube during the Covid-19 pandemic. Though Japan has long had a complex relationship with foreigners and its cultural identity, experts say Sanseito's rise is another indication of the global shift to the right embodied and partly fueled by Trump, with populist figures gaining ground in Europe, Britain, Latin America and elsewhere. Kamiya 'fancies himself a mini-Trump' and 'is one of those who Trump has put wind in his sails,' said Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian studies and history at Temple University's Japan campus. Speaking at a rally on Saturday at Tokyo's Shiba Park, Kamiya said his calls for greater restrictions on foreign workers and investment were driven not by xenophobia but by 'the workings of globalization.' He criticized mainstream parties' support for boosting immigration in an effort to address the labor shortage facing Japan's aging and shrinking population. 'Japan is still the fourth-largest economy in the world. We have 120 million people. Why do we have to rely on foreign capital?' Kamiya told an enthusiastic crowd. The election results were disastrous for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is facing calls to resign now that his conservative Liberal Democratic Party — which has ruled almost uninterrupted since the end of World War II — has lost its majority in both houses of parliament. The Japanese leader had also been under pressure to reach a trade deal with the Trump administration, which said Tuesday that the two sides had agreed to a 15% U.S. tariff on Japanese goods. On Wednesday, Ishiba denied reports that he planned to step down by the end of August. The message from his party's string of election losses is that 'people are unhappy,' Kingston said. 'A lot of people feel that the status quo is biased against their interests and it advantages the elderly over the young, and the young feel sort of resentful that they're having to carry the heavy burden of the growing aging population on their back,' he said. Kamiya, 47, an energetic speaker with social media savvy, is also a strong contrast to leaders such as Ishiba and the Constitutional Democrats' Yoshihiko Noda, both 68, who 'look like yesterday's men' and the faces of the establishment, Kingston said. With voters concerned about stagnating wages, surging prices and bleak employment prospects, 'the change-makers got a lot of protest votes from people who feel disenfranchised,' he said. Sanseito's platform resonated with voters such as Yuta Kato. 'The number of [foreign immigrants] who don't obey rules is increasing. People don't voice it, but I think they feel that,' the 38-year-old hairdresser told Reuters in Tokyo. 'Also, the burden on citizens including taxes is getting bigger and bigger, so life is getting more difficult.' The biggest reason Sanseito did well in the election, he said, 'is that they are speaking on behalf of us.' Kamiya's party was not the only upstart to benefit from voter discontent, with the center-right Democratic Party for the People increasing its number of seats in the upper house from five to 16. Sanseito, whose name means 'Participate in Politics,' originated in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, attracting conservatives with YouTube videos promoting conspiracy theories about vaccines and pushing back against mask mandates. Its YouTube channel now has almost 480,000 subscribers. The party has also warned about a 'silent invasion' of foreigners in Japan, where the number of foreign residents rose more than 10% last year to a record of almost 3.8 million, according to the Immigration Services Agency. It remains far lower as a proportion of the population than in the U.S. or Europe, however. Critics say such rhetoric has fueled hate speech and growing hostility toward foreigners in Japan, citing a survey last month by Japanese broadcaster NHK and others in which almost two-thirds of respondents agreed that foreigners received 'preferential treatment.' At the Sanseito rally on Saturday, protesters held up signs that said 'No Hate' and 'Racists Go Home.' Kamiya denies that his party is hostile to foreigners in Japan. 'We have no intention of discriminating against foreigners, nor do we have any intention of inciting division,' he said Monday. 'We're just aiming to firmly rebuild the lives of Japanese people who are currently in trouble.' Despite its electoral advances, Sanseito doesn't have enough members in the upper house to make much impact on its own and has only three seats in the more powerful lower house. The challenge, Kingston said, is whether Kamiya can 'take this anger, the malaise, and bring his show nationwide.'
New Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Can Britain's Starmer learn anything from Carney's near-miraculous election win in Canada?
Whereas Carney and the Liberals have been vocal in their resistance to Trump, Starmer and Labour have followed a path of obsequiousness, even to the point of avoiding criticism of the US president over threats to Canada. Instead of speaking out, Starmer has managed Trump by flattering him through an invitation for a second state visit. Starmer and Labour seem determined to curry favour with Trump to gain a free trade agreement with the US. Setting aside the value of such an agreement, given how Trump has simply ignored the deal his first administration struck with Mexico and Canada in 2020, the toadying appears to have all been for naught. According to the Guardian, the Trump administration has made a free-trade agreement with the UK a second or third level priority. So much for the 'special relationship.' This apparent disinterest would imply that Starmer and Labour have little to risk by taking a more aggressive stance. Playing a more overtly nationalistic card might play well with more centrist voters in the UK, as it did in Canada. There is clear evidence from opinion polls of growing unhappiness with the United States among Britons, along with increasing disdain for the idea of the 'special relationship'. Such an approach might undermine some of the momentum that the Reform Party has enjoyed over the last few months. Tying Nigel Farage to the Trump administration might be especially effective given his close connections over several years to the president. Certainly, tarring your opponent as a mini-Trump represented an effective tool by the Liberal campaign against the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who not only lost the election but also was defeated in his own constituency after having won there seven previous times. A case could be made that the Canadian situation has a uniqueness that isn't necessarily transferrable elsewhere. There is, for instance, a long history in the country of anti-Americanism as a potent political force, especially on the left of the political spectrum. Efforts to distance Canada from the US culturally and intellectually in the 1960s and 1970s were popular and led to a cultural flourishing. And elections in 1911 and 1988 were fought directly over the issue of free trade with the United States. Major public concerns over American domination of Canada were key in both contests, even though the latter election was a victory for the Progressive Conservative party that advocated free trade with the US. Additionally, a significant element of Canadian identity outside of Quebec has long been defined in oppositional terms to Canada's southern neighbour. Steve Hewitt, University of Birmingham This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Poilievre sounds like mini-Trump': What Canadian voters had to say about election
Canadian PM Mark Carney and opponent Pierre Poilievre In the Monday election, Mark Carney defeated Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and officially became the Prime Minister of Canada. In this election, US President Donald Trump played an important role in influencing the votes. His constant threats, like making Canada a 51st State and tariffs, have put the question in front of voters regarding the new leader. The election results showed that the Canadian favoured Mark Carney over Pierre Poilievre. Here's what voters said about the leaders: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo A woman said, "I think who I voted for would be the best to take care of Trump." In Toronto, Reid Warren cast his Liberal vote, citing the party as the optimal choice during economic uncertainty. "I don't think there is a better choice right now," he said, voting in Toronto. "I know people believe in Poilievre but it's the same, like, soundbites that you get from anybody else. It sounds like mini-Trump to me." Warren, employed at a wholesale food distribution centre, acknowledged the unity amongst Canadians strengthened by "all the shade being thrown from the States," but noted that 'it's definitely created some turmoil, that's for sure." Toronto resident Duncan Garrow expressed concern about repeated American references to Canada as the '51st state' and similar disrespectful comments, suggesting these remarks warrant serious consideration. "In a very bizarre, upside down, twisted way, this might be a good thing for Canada, because I think maybe we've had too much of a relationship with the United States. I mean, they're right there, they're always going to be our neighbor, our partner, our friend, hopefully. But thinking about other possibilities, thinking about cutting down some of our own barriers within Canada, but also thinking more internationally, just as a country, I think that's a very healthy, progressive way to be going forward." Pakistani immigrant sisters Laiqa and Mahira Shoaib, who voted in Mississauga, Ontario, both sought change in Monday's election, influenced by Trump's statements and tariff policies. The sisters, who arrived from Pakistan ten years ago, expressed dissatisfaction with the economic conditions and employment opportunities under Liberal leadership. "It was different when we arrived," Laiqa Shoaib stated after voting. "We need to get out of Liberals." Laiqa, 27, working in healthcare, supported the New Democratic Party, whilst Mahira, 25, a bank employee, voted Conservative, favouring Poilievre for his business acumen. "We would definitely be the 51st state if Mark Carney wins," she remarked.
29-04-2025
- Business
What some Canadian voters had to say about their election and Donald Trump
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario -- Donald Trump cast a long shadow over Canada's national election — and many Canadian voters noticed. In his first 100 days back in the White House, the U.S. president has lobbed barbs at America's northern neighbor, levied tariffs on Canadian goods and talked about making Canada the 51st state. It had many Canadian voters thinking about Trump and how the parties on the ballot would respond to him. Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals won over Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, a dramatic reversal of fortune credited largely to Trump. Here are some voices from voters casting their ballots in Monday's elections: In Toronto, Reid Warren said he voted Liberal because he saw the party as the best amid what he characterized as 'real uncertainty' in the economy particularly. 'I don't think there is a better choice right now,' he said, voting in Toronto. "I know people believe in Poilievre but it's the same, like, soundbites that you get from anybody else. It sounds like mini-Trump to me.' Warren, who works at a wholesale food distribution center, said he did feel somewhat boosted by unity among Canadians created by 'all the shade being thrown from the States,' but 'it's definitely created some turmoil, that's for sure." 'There's only so many times that you can hear, you know, '51st state' and 'governor this' and all that disrespect that's coming that you have to think, you know, at some point you have to take it seriously," said Duncan Garrow, a resident of Toronto. "In a very bizarre, upside down, twisted way, this might be a good thing for Canada, because I think maybe we've had too much of a relationship with the United States. I mean, they're right there, they're always going to be our neighbor, our partner, our friend, hopefully. But thinking about other possibilities, thinking about cutting down some of our own barriers within Canada, but also thinking more internationally, just as a country, I think that's a very healthy, progressive way to be going forward.' Sisters Laiqa and Mahira Shoaib said they both voted for change in Monday's election, and both said Trump's rhetoric and tariff plans influenced their decision. The sisters, who immigrated from Pakistan a decade ago and voted in Mississauga, Ontario, said the economy has worsened and job opportunities have dried up under Liberal rule. 'It was different when we arrived,' Laiqa Shoaib said after casting her ballot. 'We need to get out of Liberals.' Laiqa, 27 and a health care worker, voted for the New Democratic Party. Mahira, 25, who works at a bank, supported the Conservative Party, and Poilievre, whom she described as 'business-minded.' 'We would definitely be the 51st state if Mark Carney wins,' she said.
ITV News
29-04-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Canada election 2025: Mark Carney declares victory for Liberal party
Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party is projected to win Canada's election and form the next government in what will be his party's fourth term in power. As results continue to be announced, it is currently unclear whether Carney's party will win an outright majority of at least 172 seats or whether it will have to govern as a minority, relying on support from smaller parties. Carney has only been Canada's PM for 46 days but in that time has managed to turn around his party's fortunes and recover from a position in which some pollsters placed his opponents at a 27-point lead. His opponent, conservative Pierre Poilievre, had hoped the election would be a referendum on Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, who had won three terms and resigned in January. Playing on Canadian's growing resentment towards the US President's threats to make Canada the 51st state as well as the tariffs he placed on the country, Mark Carney was able to run on a popular anti-trump platform. 'The Americans want to break us so they can own us,' Carney said in the runup to election day. 'Those aren't just words. That's what's at risk.' While campaigning, Carney vowed that every dollar the the government collects from counter-tariffs on U.S. goods will go toward Canadian workers who are adversely affected by the trade war. He also said he plans to keep dental care in place, offer a middle-class tax cut, return immigration to sustainable levels and increase funding to Canada's public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Addressing supporters and conceding defeat, conservative leader Pierre Poilievre vowed to keep fighting for Canadians and their right to an affordable home on a safe street. 'We are cognizant of the fact that we didn't get over the finish line yet,' Poilievre told his supporters in Ottawa. 'We know that change is needed, but change is hard to come by. It takes time. It takes work. And that's why we have to learn the lessons of tonight — so that we can have an even better result the next time Canadians decide the future of the country.' The US President's vocal support for Poilievre appeared to turn voters away from the Canadian conservative. Reid Warren, a Toronto resident, said he voted Liberal because Poilievre 'sounds like mini-Trump to me.' And he said Trump's tariffs are a worry. 'Canadians coming together from, you know, all the shade being thrown from the States is great, but it's definitely created some turmoil, that's for sure,' he said. Historian Robert Bothwell said Poilievre appealed to the 'same sense of grievance' as Trump, but that it ultimately worked against him. 'The Liberals ought to pay him,' Bothwell said, referring to the U.S. president. 'Trump talking is not good for the Conservatives.' If Mark Carney's party don't win an outright majority they will have to rely on support from smaller parties to remain in power. The Bloc Québécois, which looked set to finish third, is a separatist party from French-speaking Quebec that seeks independence from Canada. Trudeau's Liberals relied on the New Democrats to remain in power for four years, but the progressive party faired poorly on Monday and its leader, Jagmeet Singh, said he was stepping down after eight years in charge.
