内閣支持率２５％ 「有言不実行」へのいらだちだ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 8, 2010)
Kan must change tack to regain public support
内閣支持率２５％　「有言不実行」へのいらだちだ（12月7日付・読売社説）

The public approval rating for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan has sunk rapidly to alarming levels.
　菅内閣の支持率が、見る間に低下し、「危険水域」に入った。

The ebbing popular support apparently reflects the people's irritation over the Cabinet's failure to deal with domestic and diplomatic issues properly.
　外交、内政の課題をきちんと処理できないことに対する国民のいらだちの表れではないか。

According to the latest Yomiuri Shimbun opinion survey, the approval rating has declined to 25 percent. In other words, only one out of four people support the Cabinet. The disapproval rating, on the other hand, has shot up to 65 percent.
　読売新聞の世論調査で内閣支持率が２５％に下落した。４人に１人の支持しかないことになる。不支持率は６５％と跳ね上がった。

The primary reason for nonsupport is "lack of leadership by the prime minister"--chosen by 36 percent of the respondents. The results raise a big question over whether the Cabinet will be able to deliver on its promise made six months ago at the time of its inauguration to become a "true-to-its-word cabinet."
　不支持の理由の第一が「首相に指導力がない」で３６％だった。発足後半年を迎える「有言実行内閣」に大きな疑問符がついた形だ。

Public discontent over the government's economic policy is deep-seated.
　経済政策への不満も根強い。

The Diet has passed the 4.8 trillion yen supplementary budget for the current fiscal year, which incorporates measures to deal with the strong yen and deflation. But a staggering 83 percent answered "no" in response to a question on whether the Cabinet "has dealt with the current economic situation appropriately."
　円高・デフレ対策を盛り込んだ４兆８０００億円超の補正予算は成立したものの、「今の経済情勢に適切に対応していない」と答えた人が８３％にも上った。

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Lack of leadership

Public dissatisfaction is not due to the sluggish economy alone. It reflects criticism of the government over its failure to come up with effective policies to tackle the dire fiscal condition and social security issues. Thus, the survey clearly showed the public wants the government to promptly carry out drastic measures on these issues.
　景気低迷への不満だけではあるまい。財政の危機的状況や社会保障政策の問題を放置していることへの批判だ。抜本的な手を早く打つ必要があるという国民の意思が示されたとも言えよう。

Opinion is divided within the ruling Democratic Party of Japan over whether the country should take part in the multilateral negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement on free trade. But the survey showed a strong majority--60 percent--wanted the country to make a bid to join the TPP framework.
　政治問題化しつつある環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）への参加については、与党内で賛否が分かれている。だが、国民の６割はＴＰＰ参加に賛成だ。

If Kan succeeds in unifying intraparty opinion in favor of participation in TPP negotiations based on the public will as shown in the survey, he will be able to halt the skid of his Cabinet's support rate.
　こうした声を背に首相が民主党を一本化できれば、支持率低下に歯止めがかかるのではないか。

His lack of leadership is viewed by the public as a reason that little progress has been made in addressing the political funding scandal involving former DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa. An overwhelming 86 percent of the respondents answered that the Cabinet "fails to deal with the matter appropriately."
　小沢一郎元代表の「政治とカネ」の問題が進展しなかったことも指導力不足が原因と見られている。民主党が適切に対応していないという人は、実に８６％だった。

An analysis of the results of surveys taken since the inception of the Cabinet in June shows that the approval rating moved upward when Kan took a clear stance to distance himself from Ozawa. Whether he can move ahead on the Ozawa issue could be the key to restoring the Cabinet's approval ratings.
　菅内閣発足後の世論調査の推移をみると、首相が「脱小沢」路線を鮮明にした時、支持率は上向く傾向がある。小沢氏の問題を早急に前進させることが、支持率回復のカギとなろう。

Asked whether the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture can move toward a solution under the Kan administration, a resounding 85 percent responded negatively. Kan and former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama bear heavy responsibility for having compounded the issue to the extent of the deadlock we face today.
　米軍普天間飛行場の移設問題が、菅内閣で解決に向かうと思わないという人は８５％にも達した。ここまで問題をこじらせた鳩山、菅両首相の責任は極めて重い。

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Wrong choice

To help reconstruct diplomacy vis-a-vis China and Russia, it is urgent to bolster the Japan-U.S. alliance. Despite this, Kan is seeking the Social Democratic Party's cooperation in the Diet although the SDP opposes the Japan-U.S. agreement on Futenma relocation. It is really unreasonable for him to do so.
　中国、ロシアとの外交を立て直すためにも、日米同盟の強化が急務である。それなのに、普天間問題の日米合意に反対する社民党に協力を求めるのは筋違いだ。

Asked which party they would vote for in the proportional representation bloc if a House of Representatives election were held now, 26 percent picked the Liberal Democratic Party, surpassing the 22 percent who chose the DPJ.
　衆院選が行われた場合の比例選での投票先については、自民党と答えた人が、民主党より多かった。

The two major parties last saw such a reversal in their relative popularity levels in a similar survey taken during the sunset days of the Hatoyama administration. The situation surrounding the Kan Cabinet has thus become similar to that of the previous administration.
逆転したのは、鳩山政権の末期以来だ。状況が似てきている。

Kan will face tough challenges such as budget compilation for fiscal 2011 and tax reform. How can he deal with them? His leadership is being put to the test in this regard.
　菅首相は、これから予算編成、税制改革など指導力が問われる難問に直面する。どう打開するのか。

Making steady efforts to resolve the issues one by one could be the only way to regain the people's confidence. Kan must recognize this anew in steering his administration.
一つ一つ地道に課題を解決していくことが、国民の信頼を取り戻す唯一の道だ。そう再認識して、政権運営に当たるべきである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 7, 2010)
（2010年12月7日01時23分 読売新聞）