TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Unlike the elections of other nations, the French Foreign Ministry failed to congratulate President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) by name.
On Sunday (Jan. 14), the French Foreign Ministry issued a press release lauding how the elections on Saturday (Jan. 13) demonstrated "how firmly democracy is rooted in Taiwan" and the aspiration of the Taiwanese people for democratic values, the rule of law, and human rights. It congratulated all voters and candidates who took part in the "democratic exercise" but did not name any of the victors, including Lai or the word "president."
It described Taiwan as a "close partner" to Europe and France and expressed hope that ties with Taiwan can continue to be fostered in the economic, cultural, scientific, and technological fields, but within the framework of the "one China" policy. The ministry closed by reaffirming the importance of peace and stability in the region, the respect of the status quo, and the "resumption of dialogue and cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait."
It can be seen in the French Foreign Ministry archives that it usually congratulates election winners by name, such as Felix Tshisekedi on his re-election as President of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Jan. 10 and the Polish Parliament's election of Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Dec. 23. However, for Taiwan, France does not mention the name of the winning candidate.
For example, in 2020, when President Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected, the ministry issued a terse statement in which it recognized that an election took place "freely and democratically." It stated that the election showed the Taiwanese people's commitment to "local democracy," the rule of law, and human rights.
It extended congratulations to "all those elected," without mentioning Tsai. It closed by expressing hope for peace and continued dialogue "between the shores of the Taiwan Strait."
The Facebook page for the French representative office in Taipei in 2020 congratulated "Dr. Tsai Ing-wen" on her re-election as president. In 2024, the office reposted the French Foreign Ministry's statement without mentioning Lai.
French journalist Jeremy Andre Flores took note of the omissions on X (formerly Twitter) and sarcastically described the French ministry's post as "bold" and said, "They elected a president, that's the word you were looking for. And his name is Lai Ching-te." He added that a good compromise would be to replace the term "president" with a non-legally binding phrase like "leader of Taiwan" before mentioning Lai's name, which the former diplomat claimed is not taboo.
The French representative office in Taipei has yet to respond to a request by Taiwan News to explain why Lai's name was excluded from the congratulatory message and whether France will offer congratulations through official channels.
Audacious diplomats and elections in Taïwan. Illuminating the public, this is my first choice . mieux que la dernière fois, continuons nos efforts! https://t.co/H3AUwDOK7m
— Jérémy André Florès (@Tantalite) January 14, 2024