On December 16, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, held a meeting in Tokyo where they reaffirmed their intention to pass the new fiscal year's budget by the end of the current fiscal year. This directive follows Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's call for early consideration of the budget. However, there are concerns that reducing the discussion time could attract backlash from public opinion, and some within the government perceive this goal as ambitious. In the discussions, key party officials, including party secretaries and chairs of the policy committee, addressed strategies for the upcoming extraordinary session of the National Diet scheduled for December 18. Hiroshi Kajiyama, the LDP's chairman of the National Diet Committee, stated that they would strive for the budget's rapid passage while keeping all possible outcomes on the table. The Japan Innovation Party's Hiroshi Nakatsuka also expressed their commitment to work towards the budget's timely approval. Despite the push for timely budget approval, the political climate is challenging, particularly after the dissolution of the lower house at the beginning of the regular Diet session, which set back discussions. The Prime Minister had communicated his determination to avoid conceding the goal of passing the budget by the end of the fiscal year to LDP executives. However, if the government rushes negotiations and significantly shortens discussion time, it could provoke strong reactions from opposition parties. Furthermore, with the ruling coalition controlling three-quarters of the lower house seats after the recent elections yet remaining in the minority in the upper house, the government risks being perceived as dismissive of the legislature’s deliberative process, potentially leading to public discontent.