日本首相菅义伟3日突然宣布放弃追求连任自民党总裁。这意味着本月29日自民党选举产生的新总裁将接替菅义伟出任首相，菅义伟政府上台一年后即告结束。
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Friday that he decided not to run in the upcoming leadership election for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), effectively giving up the premiership.
视频来源：央视网
菅义伟：“专注应对新冠疫情”
之前，菅义伟曾放出竞选连任的风声，当天却突然宣布放弃竞选令日本政坛大跌眼镜。
菅义伟声称，他放弃谋求连任是因为要“专注应对新冠疫情”。自民党预定本月17日正式公告总裁选举，29日投票选出新总裁。
"I want to focus on coronavirus response, so I told the LDP executive meeting that I've decided not to run in the party leadership race," Suga told reporters. "I judged that I cannot juggle both and I should concentrate on either of them." The LDP is slated to start campaigning on Sept. 17 and hold its presidential election on Sept. 29.
据新华网报道，菅义伟去年9月刚上台时内阁支持率一度超过60%。但今年以来，由于日本政府防控疫情不力，疫苗接种进展缓慢，一些地方出现不同程度的医疗崩溃情况，民众不满情绪日增。7月以来，日本进入第五波疫情高峰，特别是东京奥运会期间感染人数急剧上升，菅义伟内阁支持率快速下滑。奥运会结束后多家媒体民调均显示菅义伟内阁支持率创新低，有的民调数字已低于30%的危险线。
路透社的报道将菅义伟称为 “挣扎的首相”，为新领导人留出了舞台。
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Suga, who took over after Shinzo Abe resigned last September citing ill health, has seen his approval ratings drop below 30% as the nation struggles with its worst wave of COVID-19 infections ahead of a general election this year. Suga had earlier announced his intention for a second term, but he was losing support within the party as well as from the public amid increasing criticism over his ineffective response to the pandemic.
朝日新闻英文版的一篇社论称菅义伟“自食其果”：在疫情处理上失去了公众信任，也失去了自民党内多数的信任。
Having lost the public’s trust over his handling of the pandemic and the support of many members of his own Liberal Democratic Party, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga decided to call it a day.
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该社论还写道：新冠病例激增，菅义伟保护民生失责，应当给予严厉批评。
Suga deserves to be severely criticized for abandoning his responsibility to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people at a time of explosive growth in COVID-19 cases.
就在菅义伟宣布不再竞选后，日经225指数上涨2.05%，达到6月16日以来的新高。
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average finished 584.60 points, or 2.05 percent, higher from Thursday at 29,128.11, which was the highest level since June 16.
据新华网报道，前外务大臣岸田文雄、前总务大臣高市早苗已表态参选党首。行政改革担当大臣河野太郎3日表示有意出马竞选。自民党代理干事长野田圣子考虑参选，前自民党干事长石破茂正在考虑是否参选。
NHK：菅义伟继任者潜在人选（左起：岸田文雄，河野太郎、高市早苗、野田圣子、石破茂）
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据报道，自民党新总裁产生后，还要经过国会首相指名选举才能成为新首相。无论谁当选新总裁，都将很快面临众议院选举这一严峻挑战。由此可见，接下来的近两个月，日本政局将进入一个新的混沌期和动荡期。
综合来源：新华网，路透社，NHK，朝日新闻
