The opposition parties have claimed that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been beaten in a complete shutout following two failed mass recall movements. They interpret the failure as a political warning to President William Lai (賴清德). Moreover, there is no lack of harsh criticism circulating in public opinion.
Regarding the controversy over prosecution and investigative authorities, opposition parties have accused Lai of manipulating these agencies to settle political scores, including judicial issues involving Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). However, such accusations remain unsubstantiated, resting largely on the imagined continuation of an authoritarian era in which the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) suppressed opposition through prosecution. The discourse traps Taiwan’s democratic consolidation within outdated frameworks. It contributes little to public debate, but deepens political divisions.
Since US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the pressure from US trade policies has put Taiwan and the global economy in a dilemma. Governments worldwide are trying to soften the impact, and nobody has proposed a perfect solution. However, if public criticism focuses narrowly on the government in Taiwan, it would neglect the interdependent international environment, obscuring the very core of the problem.
The pan-green camp often compares Lai with former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). When Tsai was in office, she also faced severe criticism — from the controversy over her doctoral thesis to the loss of diplomatic allies and neglect of media engagement. At the time, nearly every move she made became a target of public criticism.
Nowadays, many of the same voices portray Tsai as an ideal model to follow, shifting much of the negative sentiment onto Lai. This inconsistency overlooks the fact that the political environments surrounding the two leaders are different, leaving current criticism without a coherent foundation.
Lai is not an unchanging hardliner. In his inauguration address, he said that he would serve as a president in accordance with the Constitution, and emphasized his commitment to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo.”
This stance marks a significant shift from some of his earlier positions in his political career. On Saturday last week, the night of seven recall votes and a referendum, Lai delivered a calm statement, expressing full respect for voters’ decisions and announcing that his administration team would undergo adjustments. He released the statement in the hope of fostering open dialogue and policy-based cooperation with the opposition parties. Could this signal a transformation and reflect sincerity?
As chairman of the DPP, Lai must safeguard the party’s core values; as president, he must uphold sovereignty in cross-strait relations. Beyond firm principles, Lai demonstrates a willingness to listen and an openness to change. There is no president who could meet impossible expectations if public opinion neglects what he has changed, while examining under a magnifying glass what he has not.
Society needs a more balanced vision of criticism and expectations. While the public often demands that the president should take all the responsibility, they should also require opposition parties to move beyond a mindset of political revenge.
The opposition parties should begin engaging in substantive policy discussions with the ruling party. Only when the ruling party and opposition parties are willing to pursue dialogue and cooperation could Taiwan chart its own path to shape a brighter future.
Wang Hung-jen is executive director of the Institute for National Policy Research and a professor in the Department of Political Science at National Cheng Kung University.
Translated by Lai Wen-chieh
In a summer of intense political maneuvering, Taiwanese, whose democratic vibrancy is a constant rebuke to Beijing’s authoritarianism, delivered a powerful verdict not on China, but on their own political leaders. Two high-profile recall campaigns, driven by the ruling party against its opposition, collapsed in failure. It was a clear signal that after months of bitter confrontation, the Taiwanese public is demanding a shift from perpetual campaign mode to the hard work of governing. For Washington and other world capitals, this is more than a distant political drama. The stability of Taiwan is vital, as it serves as a key player
Yesterday’s recall and referendum votes garnered mixed results for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). All seven of the KMT lawmakers up for a recall survived the vote, and by a convincing margin of, on average, 35 percent agreeing versus 65 percent disagreeing. However, the referendum sponsored by the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on restarting the operation of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County failed. Despite three times more “yes” votes than “no,” voter turnout fell short of the threshold. The nation needs energy stability, especially with the complex international security situation and significant challenges regarding
Much like the first round on July 26, Saturday’s second wave of recall elections — this time targeting seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers — also failed. With all 31 KMT legislators who faced recall this summer secure in their posts, the mass recall campaign has come to an end. The outcome was unsurprising. Last month’s across-the-board defeats had already dealt a heavy blow to the morale of recall advocates and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while bolstering the confidence of the KMT and its ally the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). It seemed a foregone conclusion that recalls would falter, as
The fallout from the mass recalls and the referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant continues to monopolize the news. The general consensus is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been bloodied and found wanting, and is in need of reflection and a course correction if it is to avoid electoral defeat. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has not emerged unscathed, either, but has the opportunity of making a relatively clean break. That depends on who the party on Oct. 18 picks to replace outgoing KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫). What is certain is that, with the dust settling
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