Will the Social Democratic Party disappear? November 19, 11:31

"You have eaten up the heritage that your seniors have built!" The


Social Democratic Party's party convention, which was decided to divide, was wrapped in flying angry waves.


And that Social Democratic Party member of parliament, who once held the administration, is finally one.


Will the Social Democratic Party disappear as it is?

We approach in an interview with the people concerned.


(Yuriko Miyagawa, Koichi Namiki, Keisuke Sakuma)

The last one?

"It feels like'one person', but even if you have a dark face, no one will come to you ..."

Late October prior to the party convention.

Already, the situation within the Social Democratic Party was inevitable.


It is impressive that Fukushima spoke plainly.

As an opposition to the Liberal Democratic Party

The predecessor of the Social Democratic Party is the former Socialist Party.


Immediately after the end of the war, it was formed mainly by those who were involved in the labor movement.

He has played the other leading role in the so-called "1955 system" in which the conservative Liberal Democratic Party and the innovators compete with each other, advocating the elimination of disparities, pacifism and constitutional protection.

A person concerned talks about the achievement as follows.


"We have stopped the policy bias caused by'conservatives' in medical care and pensions."


"

We have prevented the

LDP from securing two-thirds of the power in the Diet and kept the constitution."

Women moved the mountain

In 1986, Takako Doi became chairman of the party as the first female leader.


Three years later, in the Upper House election, the slogan was "No good things," he said, "against the consumption tax," and he sought out female candidates one after another, creating a "Madonna whirlwind" and driving the LDP into the majority.


The "mountain moved" that Doi mentioned at that time is still handed down.

Prime Minister also produced

In 1993, he made a leap forward to become a political party in the Hosokawa Cabinet of the "non-private coalition government."


In the subsequent "in-house coalition administration" with the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Party Sakigake, Tomiichi Murayama, the leader of the party, will finally become prime minister.

Regarding the previous war, in addition to announcing the "Murayama discourse" that clearly acknowledges the responsibility of the Japanese government at that time, it has realized policies that impress the administration of the "Socialist Party leaders" such as the enactment of the A-bomb survivor protection law.


However, this also became a turning point to the downhill.

Policy change, and division

In a coalition government with conservatives, Prime Minister Murayama recognized the Self-Defense Forces as constitutional and changed the policy of the former Socialist Party, and the centripetal force within the party declined rapidly.


After the resignation of Prime Minister Murayama in 1996, the former Socialist Party was renamed the Social Democratic Party and tried to rebuild it, but in the end, the party split.

In the change of government in 2009, it played a part in the Democratic Party of Japan, but it has been declining due to the decrease in the number of labor union members who support the party.


The number of members of parliament has finally decreased to four.

Even now, repeated divisions

It was December last year that the Social Democratic Party was asked to join the Constitutional Democratic Party.


However, the party is not united and the party as a whole will abandon the merger.


At the party convention on November 14, a bill was consulted that allowed the Social Democratic Party to remain, but also to leave the party to join.

As a result, it passed with 84 in favor and 75 against.


The de facto flow of party division has been decided.

When the party disappears, the civic movement ...

Three of the four members of parliament are expected to leave the party, leaving only one.


Fukushima, the leader of the party.


Fukushima looked back on the merger talks.


"Everyone had worries, thoughts, and conflicts. To be honest, I think it was hard. But if there was something good, I thought about what a political party was. I felt the goodness of the Social Democratic Party. Kana "



What is the goodness of the Social Democratic Party?


When asked if that was the reason for staying in the party, he said it was a supporter's voice.

"If there are treasures in Japan, I think it is a civil movement such as peace and nuclear power planting all over the country. People who have been involved for decades without the purpose of status or honor. The Social Democratic Party is that movement. and lead, has been moving the society. from the people, voice of "if you stop the movement to join" has arrived many. Party of that movement ends in that disappears, is not it really a shame, "



social Democratic Party, Although there are few members of the Diet, it is said that there are about 12,000 members of the local party, including members of the local government.

These party members will also be divided into the remaining group and the confluence group in the future.



"It's a waste. There are still more than 10,000 local organizations of party members. It's historic. As long as there are people who want to do their best in the Social Democratic Party, we will work together."



Fukushima emphasizes the connection between the civic movement and party members nationwide.

However, the current situation is severe due to the aging of the population.

And above all, he is the only one in national affairs.

There are also harsh voices saying, "The Social Democratic Party is already a" mud ship. "


Isn't there a way to move to the Constitutional Democratic Party, which has a similar policy, and further develop the idea of ​​the Social Democratic Party?


Fukushima strongly argues that he cannot work with the Constitutional Democratic Party in a fundamental way.



"I'm saying'a healthy Japan-US alliance', but this is an appeal that'unlike the former Democratic Party of Japan's administration, it is moderate and respects the United States even if the administration changes.'Edano himself is liberal. It should be, but it seems that he is playing a conservative route by force. "



Furthermore, he talked about the significance of leaving the Democratic Party, citing the issue of worship at Yasukuni Shrine and his stance on the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty.



"I'm cutting off various pre-war and post-war movements and thoughts. It's better to have Article 9 of the Constitution and the Social Democratic Party to protect peace without cutting them off."

I won't stand anymore

On the other hand, how do the party executives who have led the merger talks take it?


Hajime Yoshikawa (currently the deputy leader), who was the secretary-general, looked back when he was asked to join the meeting.

"I thought I wouldn't stand anymore after the Upper House election last year. So, in a sense, it was a chance. Someone who says that there is a way to join and spread social democracy within the Constitutional Democratic Party. It should be done as a Social Democratic Party. Those who say that. There is a reason for each. Then I tried to accept both choices. It was really hard, but I had to make such a choice. "



What do you think of the voices of those who absolutely want to leave the party?


"No one is willing to join. It's a tough choice. In the face of the party's crisis of survival, we decided that we had to take this path to preserve the social democracy that the Social Democratic Party had advocated. I think we're going to do it. "



On the other hand, Yoshikawa, who is expected to leave the party for the merger.

At this point, he declined to mention how he should behave, saying, "I would like to clarify after discussing with the local Oita Prefectural Federation."

Even a small number is worth keeping saying the truth

How do former comrades view the current Social Democratic Party?


Nobuto Hosaka, the mayor of Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.


After serving as a member of the House of Representatives of the Social Democratic Party for three terms, he left the party in 2011 when he ran for the Mayor of Setagaya.


While Hosaka has shown some understanding to those who are aiming to join, looking back on the 1996 "Social Democratic Party division," he points out that any small political party will definitely have a role to play.

"At the time of that division, I was told,'Even if 10 people or so remain, it will disappear.' But for the past 20 years, it has never been meaningless. It has played a part in the coalition government, and the NPO law and information disclosure law, etc. It has played a role in its role, such as leading legislation that firmly imprints civil rights. ”



Fukushima and its members, who remain in the Social Democratic Party, are urged to grasp new needs and regain their presence.


"Politics is worth keeping saying the truth, even if it's a small number. It's because it's so small that it's possible to take a drastic response. Mr. Fukushima may be alone, but the flow of society It is necessary to grasp the turning point that suddenly blows out in the world. There is no choice but to go without fear of change. "

You should leave value, not party name

Some "former comrades" have different perspectives.


Kiyomi Tsujimoto, Deputy Representative of the Constitutional Democratic Party.


During the coalition government with the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party confronted each other over the issue of the US military Futenma base in Okinawa.

The Social Democratic Party, led by Fukushima, who was particular about relocating outside the prefecture, left the administration.

At this time, Tsujimoto left the Social Democratic Party and found out.


Looking back on those days, he says:

"I was very worried because I was wondering if I could let go of the administration I had seized so quickly. It was hard. The Social Democratic Party is like my hometown. Even when I leave the party, I will always be together again and it will be even bigger. I didn't want to create a force, so I thought that the Constitutional Democratic Party could finally be formed and finally run on the same trajectory. "



Tsujimoto looks at the current situation of the old nest with mixed thoughts.


"I don't want the party with a long history to be extinguished. But looking at the current political situation, we have to increase the opposition's power. Politics should say,'I want to be like this.' It's not a thing. You really have to have power and change society. You should be one political force to keep the value, not the name of the party, and make it bigger. "

What you need to rebuild

On the other hand, I asked Tsujimoto what it would take to rebuild the smaller Social Democratic Party.


"The reason why the Social Democratic Party has weakened is that we can only win in the proportional district. It seems that we should vote widely and thinly nationwide. In the case of Takako Doi, we will take the lead as party leader and compete in the constituency. The constituency can take root in the area, but if it is a proportional center, the roots will disappear. If that happens, the party will be weakened. "



Fukushima has been elected as a proportional representative four times so far.


As the leader of the party, there have often been voices saying that we should compete in the constituency.


It may be terrible for the current Social Democratic Party, but I asked Fukushima if he could compete from the single-seat constituency in the next House of Representatives election.

"I'll talk about it a lot, but if I go to the lower house elections and I fall, there will be no members of the Social Democratic Party. At that moment, there will be no requirements as a national political party, so I think it's a bit of a risk."

Eat the heritage you have built

These criticisms of Fukushima remain deeply rooted within the Social Democratic Party.


It was Kantoku Teruya, a member of the House of Representatives, who started the party convention in a strange atmosphere with angry waves.

He stared at Fukushima on the stage with a stern eye and shook his voice, blaming him.


"Since you became leader in 2003, you've eaten up the legacy that your seniors have built,"



Teruya said.

"It doesn't matter whether it's the Upper House election or the Lower House election. If Fukushima itself has a certain degree of name recognition, you can compete in the constituency. Then you can welcome new personnel to the proportional representative. That is the expansion of the party. But I clung to the proportional representative and didn't play the game. "

The light in front of the wind, the responsibility for the decline

The Public Offices Election Act requires that there be at least five members of parliament or at least 2% of the total number of valid votes in the most recent election.


The Social Democratic Party has secured more than 2% in the last Upper House election, although it cannot reach the number of members of the Diet, and has barely maintained its position as a national political party.

Next, when Fukushima is the only member of parliament, 2% is uncertain.


The Social Democratic Party is a light in front of the wind.



Fukushima has long been the leader of the party during the decline.

How does Fukushima feel that responsibility in the first place?


"That's right, the party wasn't able to recover while I was pulling the party, and I think it's really responsible, and I'm sorry. I just want to start from scratch." From



scratch Departure.


So how do you plan to rebuild it?


"The party is tough, but if you turn your eyes to rural areas, there are younger generations and women who will join the party. I want to create a" new social democratic party "with the banner of youth and" gender equality. " There is no choice but to do various things with excitement through trial and error. "



" Even a small number is worth continuing to say


the truth,

"

said Hosaka, a former comrade.

Certainly, it can be said to be one of the reasons for the existence of minority parties.


Can the Social Democratic Party find light?



(Honorific title omitted in the text)

Political


editor Yuriko Miyagawa


Joined in 2012.

After working at the Miyazaki station and the Nagoya station, he became a political department.

Currently in charge of the Social Democratic Party at the opposition club.


Koichi Namiki, a

political

editor


, joined the station in 2011.

After working at the Yamaguchi Bureau, the political department.

Currently, he is interviewing the opposition club, focusing on measures for the Diet.


Keisuke Sakuma, a

political

editor


, joined in 2012.

After working at the Fukushima Bureau, the political department.

Currently in charge of the Constitutional Democratic Party at the opposition club.