From November 21 to 24, Mr. Yosuke Suzuki, Member of the House of Representatives (Tokyo 10th District / Proportional Tokyo), received official invitations on behalf of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan from the European Democratic Party (EDP), Liberal International (LI), and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD). Representing the CDP, he participated in international discussions on strengthening cooperation with European and Asian liberal party networks and on security and democracy.

Through panel discussions and speeches with leading politicians and researchers from various countries, he communicated the CDP’s position as a centrist party to the world.

In Bilbao, Spain, he joined a panel discussion at the EDP Congress titled “Defending Democracy: Global Alliance of Democrats.” The panel included American journalist Mr. Alan Friedman and Indian Member of Parliament Mr. Manish Tewari, among others, and discussions were held on how to counter the rise of authoritarian states and the growth of far-right parties. Mr. Suzuki emphasized in particular the following points:

The Spread of Far-Right Populism and Hate Speech in Japan

He described how forces advocating the exclusion of foreigners are gaining momentum in Japan and how hate speech has become commonplace, particularly online. Amid a rightward shift in Japanese politics, he shared the need to develop legal systems while maintaining a balance between freedom of expression and the protection of human rights.

Responding to Election Interference and Disinformation

At a time when cyber interference in elections and disinformation campaigns by actors such as Russia are becoming a global problem, he pointed out that Japan is by no means an exception. He introduced issues the CDP should address, including ensuring the transparency of electoral processes, regulating online advertising, and strengthening media literacy education.

In The Hague, Netherlands, he took the floor at the Liberal International Congress and referred to the fact that centrist parties in Japan’s postwar political history have not participated in international conferences of this kind. He stated that the CDP’s participation on this occasion opens a new path for defending democratic values and fulfilling responsibilities in the international community, and he appealed for the CDP—Japan’s centrist party—to fully take on efforts such as policy research, exchanges among younger legislators, international election support, humanitarian cooperation, and cooperation to protect shared values.

He then participated in a special CALD session panel discussion titled “Security in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.” The panel included European security expert Mr. William Townsend and Taiwanese security scholar Mr. Puma Shen, among others, and discussed shared security challenges surrounding Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Mr. Suzuki addressed Japan’s security environment involving China, Russia, and North Korea. While noting heightened military tensions around Japan, he emphasized the importance of maintaining an exclusively defense-oriented policy and the Japan–U.S. alliance while avoiding an unbounded arms race. From the standpoint of opposing unilateral changes to the status quo by force, he called for both deterrence and dialogue based on international law and multilateral cooperation.

He further expressed concern that simplistic slogans—such as “a Taiwan contingency automatically means a Japan contingency”—could take on a life of their own, in connection with the Taiwan Strait crisis and “a situation threatening Japan’s survival,” which have drawn attention due to remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. While stating that a Taiwan contingency is “not someone else’s problem” for Japan, he emphasized that it is essential to clarify what can and cannot be done within the framework of the Constitution and an exclusively defensive policy, and that sufficient parliamentary control before and after any action is indispensable.

He then referred to Japan’s recent rightward political shift and the spread of exclusionary rhetoric and stated, “Precisely for this reason, the CDP as a centrist liberal party must play the role of a bulwark to protect constitutionalism, human rights, and multicultural coexistence,” expressing his determination as part of the liberal forces in Asia.