In a normal democracy, the constitution is expected to reflect a fundamental public consensus on democratic politics and core social values, consolidating social order and political foundations.
A “Taiwan consensus” requires two aspects — political democracy and social democracy. The former refers to the protection of familiar basic human rights and freedom as well as the implementation of democratic values within the political system, while the latter involves distributive justice and a review of the economic system, aspects that remain absent in Taiwan’s mainstream society.
Due to the global environment and blind pursuits of short-term economic benefits and rapid growth by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the wealth gap has widened and incomes have stagnated or regressed. Thus, Taiwan faces instability that might shake the foundations of its democracy.
Existing inequalities in social rights and wealth distribution have jeopardized the fundamental social unity required for modern democratic politics to work. Moreover, politicians and conglomerates have formed political-business networks to monopolize and control the nation’s political and economic interests.
The apparent reason for the Sunflower movement in March was students opposing the signing of the cross-strait service trade agreement, but the huge support proved that Taiwanese wanted to oppose the distorted economic system and distributive justice. Free trade is one of many illusions in Taiwan’s economic thinking.
The Sunflower movement demanded a citizens’ constitutional conference for reform of the political system. It also wanted a more far-reaching review of intergenerational justice and the economic system. Thus, a new constitution should protect both political and social democracy.
The goal of the new constitution is political democracy and a constitutional social and economic system that implements fairness and justice. Social rights protected by a new constitution should include implementing a concrete social welfare system and should also be the premise for Taiwan’s economic development and wealth distribution.
The economic system in a social democracy should be discussed and confirmed at the constitutional level, and the market economy should operate on the premises of basic values such as labor rights, industrial democracy and distributive justice. Such progressive values are key forces driving sustainable economic development and the realization of fair distribution of social resources.
As German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said, economic policy is not purely an economic issue, it must also address the political values, social goals and intergenerational justice that lie behind economic development.
Different economic systems will bring different political consequences and societies. Long term, a predator-style economic system will erode the democratic political system that the nation enjoys. The new constitution movement lays important foundations for the future unity of Taiwanese society.
An economic issue should also be a constitutional issue. A social democratic economic system should pursue the implementation of social rights, fairness and justice in a modern democratic social market. All political parties should join a citizens’ constitutional conference to face the problems in Taiwan’s constitutional system.
They should push for a new constitution, building a Taiwan consensus based on the core values of social democracy and political democracy.
Lin Minn-tsong is president of Taiwan Democracy Watch.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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