Elio Di Rupo vs Takahashi Korekiyo

Under Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, Belgium enacted a sixth state reform that transferred more powers to the regions and communities, including justice, traffic laws, and parts of social security. This was part of the coalition agreement to resolve the political crisis.

Elio Di Rupo became Prime Minister of Belgium, leading a coalition government after a record 541-day political crisis. He was the first openly gay head of government in the world and the first Francophone socialist PM in decades.

Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo's government achieved a balanced federal budget for the first time in decades, meeting EU deficit targets. This was accomplished through austerity measures and tax increases, which were controversial but stabilized public finances.

Takahashi Korekiyo was appointed Finance Minister of Japan. He served multiple terms and implemented policies to stabilize the Japanese economy, including managing the financial impact of World War I and the Great Kanto Earthquake.

As Finance Minister, Takahashi oversaw Japan's return to the gold standard at the pre-World War I parity. This decision, intended to stabilize the yen, contributed to deflation and economic hardship during the Great Depression.

Takahashi Korekiyo became Prime Minister of Japan. His brief tenure focused on addressing the economic crisis and managing foreign policy tensions following the Mukden Incident.

Takahashi Korekiyo was assassinated by rebel army officers during the February 26 Incident, a coup attempt in Tokyo. His death removed a key moderate voice from the government, contributing to the rise of militarism in Japan.