TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation Chair You Ying-lung (游盈隆) on Thursday urged President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to take bold action in response to falling approval ratings.
You proposed several options: a coalition government with either the full opposition or just the KMT, or a complete or large-scale Cabinet overhaul, per Storm Media. He argued the failed recall elections on July 26 had harmed the government’s image both domestically and internationally, warning that further erosion of support could follow if the administration fails to act decisively.
Calls for a Cabinet reshuffle have intensified following the recall votes. New Power Party Chair Wang Wan-yu (王婉諭) said the recall failure amounted to a public vote of no confidence in the Cabinet, per Newtalk.
Wang also singled out Economics Minister Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝), whose comments about the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant sparked a backlash across party lines. Commenting on a poll cited by the opposition, Kuo suggested local support was due to cash incentives, per UDN.
TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) echoed those concerns, arguing Kuo’s continued role reflects poorly on the Cabinet, per NOWnews. After repeated questioning in the legislature, Huang said Kuo lacks a firm grasp of Taiwan’s energy strategy.
KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) also identified Kuo as one of the Cabinet’s most controversial figures and questioned whether a partial reshuffle would be sufficient given the scale of Lai’s approval decline, per Liberty Times.
Meanwhile, former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) voiced support for retaining Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), advocating instead for a partial reshuffle, per Newtalk. He argued that the administration must adjust its broader strategy rather than placing blame solely on Cho’s execution of policy.
According to Liberty Times, the DPP is preparing for a partial reshuffle and has no plans to replace Cho. DPP insiders told UDN that given the political climate, promoting figures like Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) or Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an (潘孟安) to premier could endanger their political futures, per UDN.
They added that while Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) has earned praise for her role in US tariff negotiations, a full Cabinet reshuffle could make it politically awkward for her to remain.
