TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The German Institute Taipei issued a statement Wednesday in response to KMT Chair Eric Chu's (朱立倫) comparison of President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) treatment of opposition parties to Adolf Hitler’s actions during the Nazi regime.

Chu made the remarks amid escalating political tensions, as the opposition accuses the ruling DPP of overreach. A large-scale recall campaign targeting KMT lawmakers has been gaining momentum, with the legal threshold for recall petitions of 27 KMT legislators surpassed as of Wednesday, per UDN.

In this context, Chu drew comparisons to fascist leaders such as Hitler and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, claiming they used legal and judicial means to eliminate political opposition, consolidate power, and establish authoritarian rule. He suggested that Lai was using similar tactics to suppress opposition parties under the guise of democracy, per CNA.

Chu’s comments prompted criticism from the German Institute Taipei, which expressed deep disappointment and concern over the comparison. The institute stressed that Taiwan’s democratic institutions bear no resemblance to the instruments of terror used under Nazi rule, calling such analogies historically inaccurate and inappropriate.

This type of comparison, known as Godwin's Law, highlights how discussions often turn to comparisons with Hitler or the Nazis as debates escalate. Such references can indicate a breakdown in logic, suggesting that the participants can no longer effectively defend their positions, according to the EBSCO database.

The institute further warned against efforts to downplay the crimes of the Nazi regime or to draw parallels between the atrocities committed in Germany and Europe from 1933 to 1945 and the current political situation in Taiwan, calling such comparisons deeply troubling.

The statement urged the KMT to refrain from invoking such rhetoric, stating that it undermines the dignity of historical truth and trivializes the suffering of millions.