茂木、加藤、下村、岸田氏列挙　「ポスト菅」で安倍前首相

　自民党の安倍晋三前首相は２６日発売の「月刊Ｈａｎａｄａ」掲載のインタビューで、９月末の任期切れに伴う同党総裁選で菅義偉首相の再選を支持する考えを重ねて示した。その上で、「ポスト菅」候補として、茂木敏充外相、加藤勝信官房長官、下村博文政調会長、岸田文雄前政調会長の４人を挙げた。一部で取り沙汰されている自身の再々登板は否定した。
　安倍氏は、後手との批判が絶えない政府の新型コロナウイルス対応について「菅首相は的確に判断している」と評価。「菅政権は（総裁選の時点で）たった１年しかたっていない。政権には春もあれば冬もある。歯を食いしばって、みんなで支えていくべきではないか」と強調した。（2021/05/26-17:38）

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has cited four senior lawmakers as candidates to succeed current Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Yoshihide Suga in the future.
   The four named by Abe in an interview with Japanese monthly magazine Gekkan Hanada for its July edition, which went on sale Wednesday, are Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, Hakubun Shimomura, chairman of the ruling LDP's Policy Research Council, and Fumio Kishida, former chairman of the LDP policy panel.
   In the interview, Abe reiterated his support for Suga's re-election as LDP president in a poll to be held in line with the expiration of his current term as leader of the party at the end of September.
   The Suga administration "has been making appropriate decisions" regarding the fight against the novel coronavirus, Abe said, rebutting criticism that the government has been slow in responding to the epidemic.
   When the upcoming LDP presidential election is held, only about a year would have passed since Suga took office, Abe said. Noting that there are both good and bad times, Abe said that "we all should work strenuously together to support" the Suga administration.