Turkey has lessons for Tsai
As the attempted military coup in Turkey, causing a high number of fatalities, played out, the incident had a knock-on effect on the economy. The Turkish lira fell by 4.7 percent, and tourism and exports were caught up in a chain reaction.
The leadership style of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proved to be contentious. While supporters believe he is instrumental in furthering the modernization of Turkey, he is also known for suppressing dissent, and had the local population increasingly unsettled. His failure to get a firm grip on the military helped spark the coup attempt.
Economically, the situation is more positive. Last year, Turkey’s economy grew by 4 percent, driven by robust growth in investments — 3 percent — and an effective strategy of increasing the minimum wage by about 30 percent, as well as a 0.76 percent increase in the government’s public expenditures. These figures outstripped international expectations, especially given turmoil in neighboring Iraq and Syria.
Turkey’s experience provides food for thought closer to home. Politicians need to know when to be tough and when to be more accommodating. With measures that would help the local populace and the economy, a leader must be prepared to forge on even in the face of great opposition, and yet when it comes to universal values, such as workers’ rights or the freedom of expression, they must be willing to listen attentively to ordinary people and make sure their needs are met.
Recently, the government of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has been faced with a great many challenges, such as the Taiping Island (太平島) [Itu Aba] controversy, the talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, the five major domestic industrial stimulus proposals, pension reform and legislation on ill-gotten party assets.
The test for Tsai is striking a balance between efficiency and effectiveness.
Chung Kuo-yuan
Taipei
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