In recent years, EU-Taiwan, namely relations between Taiwan and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), have grown stronger. What do the 2024 Taiwan election results mean for the next four years of CEE-Taiwan relations?
The DPP’s presidential victory implies a certain degree of continuity in Taiwan’s posture towards the outside world, considering that foreign policy is in the hands of the president. In international affairs, it is expected
that future President Lai Ching-te, set to assume office in May 2024, will increase ties with democratic countries and continue closer cooperation with like-minded countries, including the EU and its member-states.
However, a hung parliament, such as the one resulting from the 2024 elections in Taiwan, poses challenges for the ruling administration due to the absence of a parliamentary majority. The forthcoming government,
likely consisting of DPP ministers (with President Lai expected to appoint a DPP premier, who in turn will appoint DPP ministers) will need to incorporate suggestions from other parties into its policies constructively.
In the realm of Taiwan’s foreign policy, in the previous electoral cycle (2020-2024), with the ruling party (DPP) holding a majority in parliament, there was a close alignment with the administration. This time, although
differences will arise, particularly regarding relations with the PRC, ties with Europe are expected to remain unaffected. The outcome of the parliamentary elections warrant careful consideration, as parliamentary diplomacy is particularly important for Taiwan’s relations with Europe. Many European parliaments have
demonstrated a tendency to be ahead of their executive bodies, promoting pragmatic cooperation with Taiwan, while the latter can officially maintain adherence to their respective one China policies. Thus, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, Taiwan has managed to cultivate robustinformal and substantive connections, leading to flourishing engagement with Europe.
The paper entitled ‘Taiwan’s 2024 Elections: Perspectives from the Region and Beyond’ is originally published by The Institute for Security & Development Policy.
