Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected Sanae Takaichi as its new leader on Saturday (October 4), paving the way for the 64-year-old to follow in the footsteps of her idol, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The conservative lawmaker defeated centrist rival Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff vote held at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo. The lower house of Japan’s Parliament is expected to confirm her as prime minister in a leadership vote scheduled for mid-October.

Takaichi will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced his decision to step down last month after less than a year in office, amid growing pressure from within the LDP, which has lost its majority in both chambers of the Diet.

Here are 5 key things to know about her:

01

She’s set to

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