菅内閣発足 国家戦略を明確に示す時だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 10, 2010)
Kan must present clear national strategy
菅内閣発足　国家戦略を明確に示す時だ（6月9日付・読売社説）

Japan's new administration must not repeat the mistakes of the previous cabinet, which betrayed people's expectations as it lost its way and stumbled from blunder to blunder. The new government must drastically change the policies and policy methods adopted by its predecessor.
　迷走と失政を重ね、国民の期待を失望に変えた前内閣の轍(てつ)を踏んではなるまい。その政策と政治手法を大胆に転換する決断が求められる。

Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet was inaugurated Tuesday. At a press conference the same day, Kan stressed the importance of economic management. "We'll build a strong economy, strong government finances and strong social security programs at the same time," he said. Kan also said that on the diplomatic front, his administration would uphold the principle that the Japan-U.S. alliance forms the foundation of Japan's foreign policy.
　菅内閣が８日、発足した。
　菅直人首相は記者会見で、経済運営について「経済、財政、社会保障を一体で強くしていく」と改めて強調した。外交面では「日米同盟を基軸とする原則は、しっかりと続ける」と明言した。

However, these explanations still leave unclear what form Kan wants the country to take and what specific measures he plans to implement. As an initial step, he should present a comprehensive national strategy.
　ただ、こうした説明だけでは、菅首相がどういう日本を目指し、そのためにどんな具体策を講じるのかは明確でない。まず、骨太の国家戦略を明示してほしい。

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Boost Prime Minister's Office
　◆首相官邸を機能させよ◆

The new prime minister has made no secret of his intention to rid the government of the influence of Ichiro Ozawa, the former Democratic Party of Japan secretary general, through his choices of Cabinet members and key party posts. This has buoyed the party's public support rate and raised expectations the nation could be about to enter a period of "new politics."
　菅首相が閣僚・党役員人事を通じて、「小沢支配」排除の姿勢を打ち出したことは、民主党への支持を回復させ、「新しい政治」への期待を高めている。

When Kan was a member of the opposition bloc, he earned a reputation as a skilled polemicist feared by government officials. However, after the DPJ came to power last year, Kan failed to make any substantial achievements as a member of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's Cabinet, where he served as state minister in charge of national policy and then as finance minister. As prime minister, Kan will have to steadily produce tangible results. Failure to do so will see public support quickly slip away.
　菅首相は野党時代、政府を追及する能力に定評があったが、鳩山内閣の国家戦略相や財務相としての実績は今ひとつだった。今後は首相として、着実に成果を上げなければ、世論の支持も長続きしないだろう。

Since 2007, this country has seen prime ministers come and go each year. Such instability makes it impossible to reform key areas, such as fiscal reconstruction, the social security system and decentralization. Japan has been unable to craft relations of trust with leaders of other countries, which could erode this nation's status in the international community.
　２００７年以降、首相が毎年交代している。こんな不安定な状況では、財政再建や社会保障制度見直し、地方分権などの抜本改革は望めない。他国の首脳との信頼関係も築けず、国際社会における日本の存在感は一層低下しかねない。

Yoshito Sengoku, state minister in charge of national policy in the Hatoyama Cabinet, has been appointed chief cabinet secretary, a pivotal Cabinet post.
　内閣の要の官房長官には、仙谷由人国家戦略相が起用された。

Though the previous Cabinet called for politicians to lead the government, the Prime Minister's Office, which was supposed to spearhead this effort, did not function properly. Hatoyama did not exert leadership, and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano was unable to play his role as a coordinator in the government.
　前内閣は、「政治主導」を標榜(ひょうぼう)しながら、肝心の首相官邸が機能しなかった。鳩山前首相は指導力を発揮せず、平野前官房長官も総合調整役を果たせなかった。

Consequently, many bureaucrats have become very self-protective--they do not act until they receive instructions from politicians.
　官僚も、「政治家から指示を受けるまで、自分からは動かない」という守りの姿勢に陥った。

Kan and Sengoku must reflect on this point and enable politicians to make good use of the bureaucratic structure while ensuring the Prime Minister's Office still makes decisions on key issues.
　菅・仙谷コンビは、この反省を踏まえ、官僚機構を使いこなし、節目では首相官邸が決断を下す体制を構築する必要がある。

Cooperation between the government and ruling parties also will be important. In the previous government, Ozawa often overturned cabinet decisions. In effect, the principle that the Cabinet would uniformly make policy decisions turned out to exist in name only.
　与党との連携も重要だ。前政権では、内閣の方針が小沢一郎前幹事長に覆され、「政策決定の内閣一元化」は有名無実化した。

To rectify this situation, Kan and Sengoku will need to keep in close contact with DPJ Secretary General Yukio Edano and Policy Research Committee Chairman Koichiro Gemba, who also serves as state minister in charge of civil service reform.
　それを改めるには、首相や仙谷長官と、枝野幹事長や、公務員制度改革相兼務の玄葉政調会長らとの緊密な調整が不可欠だ。

The new government's most pressing task is to review the pledges the DPJ made for last year's House of Representatives election. The pledges included a lineup of handout policies, such as child-rearing allowances, and abolition of expressway tolls.
　当面なすべきは、参院選に向けて、昨年の衆院選の政権公約を大幅に修正することだ。政権公約は子ども手当、高速道路の無料化などバラマキ政策に満ちている。

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Time to discuss tax reform
　◆税制で与野党協議を◆

The opposition Liberal Democratic Party intends to include a plan to raise the consumption tax rate to 10 percent in its manifesto for the upcoming House of Councillors election. However, the DPJ decided not to raise the consumption tax rate until the next lower house election. We think this is an irresponsible stance for a party in power.
　野党の自民党が消費税率の１０％への引き上げを参院選公約に盛り込む方向なのに、政権党が次期衆院選まで税率を据え置くという無責任な対応で良いのか。

Kan touched on fiscal reconstruction at his press conference. "It'll be necessary to hold discussions among all parties and groups," he said. If Kan means what he says, he should encourage full-fledged negotiations with the LDP on tax reform--including a consumption tax increase.
　菅首相は記者会見で、財政再建について「党派を超えた議論をする必要がある」と述べた。そう主張するなら、消費税率引き上げなど税制改革について、自民党との本格的な協議を目指すべきだ。

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa have retained their posts. Japan-U.S. relations were bruised by Hatoyama's immature handling of diplomatic affairs. To repair this crucial bilateral relationship, there must be progress in resolving the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.
　岡田克也外相と北沢俊美防衛相は再任された。前首相の未熟な外交で傷ついた日米関係を立て直すには、米軍普天間飛行場問題を前進させることが欠かせない。

The new Cabinet should spare no effort in reaching out to local governments and residents in Okinawa Prefecture that will be affected by the base relocation, and convince them that the quickest way to ease their burden of hosting U.S. military facilities would be to accept the Japan-U.S. agreement to build replacement facilities in the Henoko area in Nago.
　地元・沖縄と地道に接触を重ね、基地負担軽減の早道は名護市辺野古に代替施設を建設する日米合意であることを、粘り強く説得しなければならない。

In the previous administration, the Social Democratic Party was one of the DPJ's junior coalition partners. However, the SDP was an albatross around the government's neck when it came to diplomatic and security policies. Now that the SDP has left the coalition, the new Cabinet should deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance and expand the Self-Defense Forces' overseas activities. There is scope for the government to cooperate with the LDP on these issues.
　前内閣では、与党・社民党の存在が外交・安全保障政策の足かせとなった。社民党の離脱を機に、新内閣は、日米同盟の強化や自衛隊の海外活動の拡充に取り組むべきだ。この分野では自民党との連携もあり得よう。

Yoshihiko Noda was promoted to finance minister from senior vice finance minister, and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Masayuki Naoshima remained in his post. Markets around the world are becoming increasingly critical of Japan's fiscal condition, and ominous signs are emerging that the country's international competitiveness might be slipping. Noda and Naoshima will need to draw up clear blueprints for overcoming the crisis.
　財務相には野田佳彦副大臣が昇格し、直嶋正行経済産業相は再任された。日本の財政に対する市場の視線は厳しさを増し、国際競争力には陰りが見える。両経済閣僚には、危機を乗り切る明確な処方箋(せん)作りが期待される。

Many eyebrows have been raised over Satoshi Arai's diverse portfolio--he has been appointed state minister in charge of national policy, economic and fiscal policy, consumer affairs and food safety. We wonder if the Kan Cabinet is making light of the task of drawing up national policies, which is supposedly an issue on which the DPJ placed great importance.
　疑問なのは、荒井聰国家戦略相が経済財政、消費者、食品安全担当を兼務することだ。民主党の目玉であるはずの国家指針の策定を軽視しているのではないか。

Lawmaker Renho, who caught the public's eye as she dressed down bureaucrats during budget screening designed to weed out wasteful government spending, was named state minister in charge of government revitalization. Her appointment smacks of a ploy to pull in votes in the upper house election. But Renho will be unable to promote reform of independent administrative institutions and public-interest corporations if she handles the problem with the same political theatrics she displayed in the budget screening.
　行政刷新相への蓮舫参院議員の起用は参院選対策の色彩が濃い。事業仕分けの政治パフォーマンスの感覚では、独立行政法人や公益法人の改革は進むまい。

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Don't let Ozawa off hook
　◆小沢氏には説明責任◆

People's New Party leader Shizuka Kamei kept his post as state minister in charge of financial services and postal reform.
　国民新党の亀井静香金融相は再任された。

The coalition parties hold a narrow majority in the upper house. Given this, Kan will be unable to ignore the opinions of the PNP on the postal reform bill currently under Diet deliberations.
参院の与党議席は過半数ぎりぎりで、菅首相は、郵政改革法案の扱いなどで、国民新党の意向を無視できない状況にある。

Nevertheless, the Cabinet should avoid a repeat of a situation in which a small party holds disproportionate sway over the government and the DPJ--as the SDP did previously.
　だが、前政権のように、少数政党に政府・民主党が振り回され続ける事態は避けるべきだろう。

Many observers are closely watching how the new administration will clean up the issue of politics and money that tainted the previous government. Kan and Edano said Ozawa's resignation as party secretary general has fixed this problem to some degree. However, the public does not share this opinion.
　新政権が「政治とカネ」の問題にどうけじめをつけるかも注目される。菅首相と枝野幹事長は、小沢氏の幹事長辞任で「一定のけじめ」をつけたと語ったが、一般国民の認識とは乖離(かいり)がある。

At the very least, Ozawa should come forward and speak at the lower house's Deliberative Council on Political Ethics to fulfill his responsibility of explaining the suspicions swirling around him.
　小沢氏は、少なくとも衆院政治倫理審査会に出席し、自らの疑惑について説明する責任がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 9, 2010)
（2010年6月9日01時30分 読売新聞）