Taro Aso on Shinzo Abe

Taro Aso has historically maintained a relationship of strong political alliance and mutual support with Shinzo Abe, serving as his Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister for the majority of Abe's second term as Prime Minister, beginning in December 2012 until Abe's resignation in August 2020. This partnership was seen as pivotal, echoing historical political alliances that consolidated power, with Aso's role providing crucial backing in economic policy and party management alongside Abe's leadership. After Abe's initial resignation in 2007, Aso himself had run for the LDP presidency, losing to Abe's predecessor, but the subsequent collaboration was characterized by an expectation of continuity and shared objectives within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

This alignment extended to public declarations of support, notably Aso signaling his commitment to Abe seeking a fourth term as party president if constitutional revision remained an unfulfilled signature policy goal. Even after Abe stepped down in 2020, Aso continued to hold the Deputy Prime Minister post under Abe's successor before taking on senior roles within the party structure, further cementing his status as a key power broker within the Abe faction's sphere of influence. The working relationship between the two leaders was instrumental in imposing order and continuity onto Japanese governance after a period of political flux.