TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Experts are warning that growing political polarization in Taiwan could threaten national security and complicate relations with both the US and China.
Political polarization refers to the widening divide between parties, where voters increasingly adopt extreme views and prioritize party loyalty over issue-based decision-making — a trend seen in democracies worldwide, according to EBSCO.
The warnings follow the failure of 24 recall votes against Kuomintang legislators on Saturday. None of the recall efforts succeeded in removing lawmakers, according to Taiwan’s Central Election Commission.
The KMT-led opposition currently holds a slim majority in the Legislative Yuan. If more than six legislators had been recalled, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party could have regained a legislative majority.
Bonnie Glaser, director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, told CNA that heightened political polarization poses a risk to Taiwan’s security. While divided government is common in democracies, she said it is critical for ruling and opposition parties to cooperate in order to meet public expectations and ensure effective governance.
Joshua B. Freedman, a nonresident fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Asia Program, said partisan tensions have worsened since last year’s general elections, leading to near political gridlock. With the KMT maintaining its majority, Freedman said lawmakers are likely to become more aggressive in opposing DPP policies.
He warned that prolonged infighting could weaken Taiwan’s ability to respond to pressure from Beijing and place added strain on its relationship with Washington.
Michael Cunningham, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, said the recall vote outcome was ultimately positive for all parties. Speaking as a neutral observer, he said the failure of the recalls helped avoid setting a precedent that could weaken Taiwan’s democratic institutions.
While acknowledging that recalls can be legitimate in certain cases, Cunningham said public sentiment does not support using them as a routine political tool.
After the vote, leaders of the KMT and Taiwan People’s Party called the result a public victory and urged President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to apologize for what they described as politically motivated recall efforts.
Lai thanked voters and civic groups, reaffirmed his commitment to democracy, and called for cross-party unity.
DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said the party humbly accepted the outcome and viewed it as a sign of strong civic engagement. He pledged the DPP would listen more carefully to public concerns.
A second round of recall votes is scheduled for Aug. 23, targeting seven additional KMT legislators: Ma Wen-chun (馬文君), Yu Hao (游顥), Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才), Chiang Chi-chen (江啟臣), Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔), Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒), and Lin Szu-ming (林思銘).
