TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The DPP’s handling of its shift in nuclear policy has drawn backlash from both party members and supporters, with several senior figures expressing concern over the potential loss of support.
DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱), who is aligned with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), defended the government’s new stance on nuclear energy in a Line messenger group, per Mirror Media. He argued that the shift aims to address a potential short-term power generation gap that Taiwan may face.
Former Veterans Affairs Council Deputy Minister Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) accepted the government’s rationale but warned that implementing a major policy change without substantial debate could risk eroding trust among the party’s base. He noted that while the explanations provided by DPP lawmakers were sound, neither anti-nuclear nor pro-nuclear factions could fully accept the government’s shift. Control Yuan member Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲) supported Lee’s assessment.
The Line group reportedly included several high-ranking DPP government officials, including Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). Chung later confirmed the story, stating that the contents of the discussion were open to public scrutiny, per TVBS.
Lai’s recent comments about reactivating the Guosheng and Maanshan nuclear power plants have also sparked backlash within the party, per Mirror Media. DPP faction leaders criticized Lai for personally announcing the policy shift, questioning why he felt the need to do so before the 2026 local elections.
A Cabinet aide suggested that Lai could have left the issue to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The aide said mentioning the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant could place unnecessary pressure on DPP Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), who is currently running for New Taipei mayor.
A DPP at-large legislator said Lai had neither informed the party’s legislative caucus beforehand nor communicated with its members afterward. A local DPP official expressed concern that many party members may feel inclined to leave all the advocacy work to Lai.
In response to the criticism, DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) downplayed the controversy, suggesting that the spread of generative AI had contributed to unverified material circulating, per Newtalk. He emphasized that the DPP’s nuclear policy remained unchanged, with nuclear safety, waste disposal, and societal acceptance being the core pillars of the party’s approach.
