石破総裁が辞任を表明した(9/2)ことを受け、自民党総裁選挙が行われることになりました。
The presidential race comes as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, head of the LDP, announced his resignation earlier this month to take responsibility for the ruling bloc's loss of a majority in both chambers of parliament in recent national elections.
新総裁は、議員票と党員票が投票し、過半数に届かない場合は、上位1名で決選投票で選ばれます。
In the leadership election, each of the LDP's 295 Diet members will cast a vote, and another 295 votes will be determined based on ballots of rank-and-file members. If no candidate obtains an outright majority in the first round on the election, a runoff between the top two contenders will be held the same day.
※rank-and-file 一般会員の、ふつうの、庶民の
※runoff 決選投票
5人の候補者のうち、当初は小泉氏の優勢が伝えられていました。（9月22日の記事）
Koizumi may gain ground in LDP leadership race with wider lawmaker support（タイトル）
Amid expectations that the 44-year-old lawmaker could negotiate more smoothly with opposition forces over cooperation, farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi may gain the upper hand in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election.
※gain ground優勢になる、陣地を確保する
※upper hand〔競争・交渉などにおける〕優位、優勢
ところが、ステマ問題（小泉候補を褒めるコメント・対立候補を貶めるコメントをSNSに送るよう指示）が発覚します。
※ステマ＝stealth marketing ※stealth ひそかな行為、忍び
Shinjiro Koizumi’s party leadership bid was in tatters following accusations his campaign staff inundated an online site with flattering comments about him, forcing a key member of the team to resign. His campaign staff are alleged to have requested associates to post disparaging remarks about rival candidate Sanae Takaichi on video-sharing platforms.
※in tatters ずたずたになって、地に落ちて tatters ぼろ着、ぼろ切れ
※inundate※ 殺到、充満させる
※flattering 〔言葉などが〕お世辞の、喜ばせる ➾favorable comments
※disparaging 〔発言などが〕人を見下すような、侮辱的な、名誉を傷つける
前回は高市氏支持にまわった麻生氏の立場が不明な中、決選投票になると、勝ち馬に乗る人が多いという大方の予想でした。
Aso has kept his distance from Ishiba and reportedly backed Takaichi in the 2024 leadership election. However, it is uncertain whether he will support her again this time. Members of the Aso faction might be looking to jump on the bandwagon in the upcoming LDP race and could vote as a bloc for Koizumi if he faces Takaichi in a runoff -- a scenario many political pundits see as most likely.
※faction 派閥
※jump on the bandwagon時流に乗る、優勢な側につく
※pundit 専門家、情報通
選挙前日、麻生氏は党員数の多い方に入れるように言ったとされ、決選投票で高市早苗新総裁が誕生しました。
Takaichi defeated Shinjiro Koizumi 185 to 156 in a second-round runoff vote to become leader of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted since the end of World War II.
勝利後のスピーチで、自らはワークライフバランスという言葉を捨てるという言葉がやや波紋を呼びました。
In a speech after winning the party leadership election on Saturday, Takaichi declared that she would "abandon the words 'work-life balance'" to work hard, drawing mixed reactions on social media and elsewhere.
馬車馬のように働く：work like a horse/work like a machine/work tirelessly
辞書にはwork like a dogもありますが、奴隷のように扱われてせっせと働くイメージです。
※have one's nose to the grindstoneコツコツ働く、身を粉にして働く
※work one's fingers to the bone 一生懸命、あくせく働く
※mixed reactions様々な反応
安倍元総理の愛弟子だった高市氏は、日本経済を立て直すことを政策の中心に据えています。
Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the likely next prime minister, is a disciple of late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the creation of a strong Japanese economy being the central plank of her policy platform.
※disciple 門弟、弟子、キリストの12使徒➾protegee（protegeの女性形）有力者から保護を受ける子分、弟子
その他の高市氏の説明：hard-line conservative/national security hawk/Abenomics torchbearer等
※plank 〔党が決めた〕政策、施策、綱領の項目、主義
初の女性総理誕生の可能性が高い中、見出しにはこのような言葉がありました。
Inspired by Thatcher, Japan’s PM-in-waiting Takaichi smashes glass ceiling (ロイター：タイトル）
※glass ceiling 〔昇進・地位向上などを阻む〕ガラス（の）天井、目に見えない障壁
Some experts say it may be due to the "glass cliff” phenomenon.
※glass cliff ガラスの崖（組織が危機的状況にある時に、女性やマイノリティがリーダーに抜擢され、失敗のリスクが高い地位に立たされる現象）
その後、公明党が26年の連立から離脱し、首班指名に向けて、様々な攻防が続いています。
The Komeito party, the junior coalition partner, said that it will withdraw from the alliance with LDP, breaking up a 26-year partnership.
