自民、皇族確保の政府２案「妥当」　近く与野党協議へ

　自民党は１９日、「安定的な皇位継承の確保に関する懇談会」の第５回会合を開き、皇族数の確保策について、政府が示した２案は「妥当」との見解をまとめた。来週にも衆参両院議長に提出する。公明党と野党各党は既にそれぞれ見解をまとめており、皇室典範改正に向けた与野党協議が近く始まる見通しとなった。
　政府の有識者会議は２０２１年、(1)女性皇族が結婚後も皇族の身分を保持(2)旧宮家の男系男子が養子として皇籍復帰―の２案を提示した。
　１９日の懇談会後、事務局長の木原誠二幹事長代理は記者団に、党の見解案を出席者に提示したとした上で「大きな方向性と中身に異論はなかった」と説明。２案で皇族数を確保できない場合に「皇統に属する男系男子を法律によって直接皇族とする」案も反対意見は出なかったという。（2024/04/19-20:03）

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday adopted a view that two proposals by a government expert panel to address the shrinking number of Imperial Family members are "reasonable," paving the way for talks on the matter between the ruling and opposition camps.
   The LDP will submit the view to the heads of both chambers of the Diet next week. Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, and opposition parties have already compiled their own views.
   In 2021, the government panel presented the proposals, which call for allowing female members to retain their Imperial Family status after marriage and for allowing male members in the paternal line of former Imperial Family branches to be adopted into the Imperial Family.
   At an LDP meeting on the issue on Friday, there were basically no objections from participants to the LDP view on the proposals, according to Seiji Kihara, acting secretary-general of the LDP.
   Participants also did not oppose a stopgap plan to enroll male Imperial Family descendants in the paternal line into the Imperial Family by legislation if the two proposals fail to secure enough Imperial Family members, Kihara told reporters after the party meeting.