Competing political parties held separate press conferences on Friday, marking the 7th anniversary of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration.
The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and New Power Party held a joint press conference to mark the occasion. The TPP is led by former Taipei City mayor and 2024 presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). The event also saw the release of a new public opinion poll from the Foundation for the People, asking respondents about their views of Tsai’s performance.
The results showed positive views of Tsai’s performance on improving long-term care for the elderly and implementation of the 2050 net-zero emissions plan. However, respondents were less satisfied with her performance on issues important to younger voters such as wealth gap and housing justice.
Foundation chair and Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) says that after seven years, the Tsai administration must view these results as less than ideal. He adds that when current vice president and presidential candidate for the ruling party Lai Ching-te (賴清德) looks at these poll results, it must make him very nervous.
President Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held its own press conference to mark the occasion, which offered a more positive view of Tsai’s two terms. DPP caucus director Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) said that in the face of continual pressure from China, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russo-Ukrainian War, Tsai has performed admirably. He says economic growth, minimum wage, and childcare subsidies have all increased during Tsai’s presidency. He adds that Taiwan’s transformation in the areas of national defense, energy use, and diplomacy have all been remarkable. He says Tsai has fostered stable and warm support for Taiwan worldwide.
Cheng notes that Tsai’s overall approval ratings remain at 50%. When compared to former president Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) approval rating of only 9% when leaving office, Cheng says Tsai’s 50% is a rare achievement in politics.