Urgent call for effective governance to safeguard national democracy
In the heart of East Asia, Taiwan finds itself at a critical juncture, as political polarization threatens its national security and democracy. The divide between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Kuomintang (KMT) has reached new heights, leading to mutual delegitimization, legislative gridlock, media partisanship, and resultant national security risks.
The analysis published in Foreign Affairs warns that Taiwan's democracy is in trouble. The authors, political analysts Lev Nachman and Yen Wei-ting, emphasize that Taiwan's leaders prioritize defeating each other over defending the nation. This political dysfunction and mutual distrust have eroded the nation's ability to respond to growing threats from China.
The legislature in Taiwan is paralyzed by obstruction and mutual contempt, and is no longer a site of democratic deliberation. Since 2024, the pan-blue coalition (KMT and Taiwan People’s Party) has blocked DPP-led initiatives, including defense budget increases and executive powers necessary for national security management. This has created a legislative stalemate, paralyzing crucial decision-making and impairing Taiwan’s military preparedness.
Simon Tang, an adjunct professor at California State University, Fullerton, explains that internal divisions have delayed defense spending and long-term strategic planning, making Taiwan vulnerable to Beijing’s “coercion without violence” tactics such as cyberattacks, disinformation, and gray-zone operations exploiting political fractures.
Taiwan's media landscape is fragmented along partisan lines, exacerbating public distrust—only 27% of citizens trust most news media, the lowest in the Asia-Pacific. This hampers a shared factual basis for democratic debate.
Recent mass recall efforts targeting opposition KMT lawmakers, such as the one that took place in July 2025, risk further political instability. Though the recall votes largely failed, these politically charged maneuvers contribute to systemic democratic strain and risk undermining governance cohesion amid external threats.
To address these challenges, proposed solutions focus on improving cross-party cooperation, bolstering democratic institutions, and addressing media fragmentation. Encouraging political forbearance could help overcome deadlock and strengthen governance. Reforming institutional mechanisms, such as addressing legislative overreach and stalled Constitutional Court functions, calls for constitutional recalibrations to balance powers more effectively, thus restoring institutional integrity and public trust.
Supporting independent journalism and media literacy initiatives can reduce polarization by fostering a common factual framework and improving civic discourse. The Grand Recall movement, driven by citizen protests against legislative obstructionism and perceived pro-China influence, reflects grassroots demand for political accountability, potentially pressuring parties toward compromise and transparency.
In the face of China's growing threats, dysfunction is no longer an option in Taiwan's democracy. Defending Taiwan does not mean agreeing on every policy; it means agreeing on what is worth defending: institutions, freedoms, and the right for Taiwanese to decide their own future. Taiwan's leaders must prioritize national security over political score-settling, and work towards unity and cooperation among Taiwanese lawmakers.
Beijing is exploiting the affective polarization in Taiwan, using online disinformation and whisper campaigns about war and chaos. It is crucial for Taiwanese citizens to remain vigilant and informed, and for Taiwan's key allies to monitor developments closely to support democratic resilience and security capabilities without exacerbating internal divisions.
In conclusion, Taiwan's political polarization poses a significant threat to its national security and democracy. Solutions emphasize cross-party cooperation, institutional reform, media depolarization, and engaged citizenry to safeguard Taiwan's democratic functioning and strategic coherence.
- In light of the growing threats from China, Taiwan's leaders, regardless of political affiliations, must prioritize national security over internal conflicts to defend the nation.
- To combat the erosion of public trust and media polarization, initiatives such as independent journalism and media literacy programs should be implemented to promote a shared factual basis for democratic debate.
- As Taiwan navigates through political polarization, key allies must monitor developments closely to support democratic resilience and security capabilities without exacerbating internal divisions, as Beijing seeks to exploit affective polarization.
