Taiwan's budget passes after year-long delay; parties trade accusations

Taiwan's legislature approved the central government's budget on Thursday, ending a 351-day stalemate. The final budget saw a reduction of 48 billion NT dollars from the initially proposed 3.34 trillion NT dollars, a cut of approximately 1.689%. Specific allocations, including special expenses for 20 government agencies, media policy, and international travel, faced significant cuts.

Following the budget's passage, the Executive Yuan issued a statement listing "seven major irrational resolutions," criticizing the opposition for substantial cuts to certain agencies and projects that could impact government operations. However, opposition legislator Lee Yen-hsiu countered that the cuts were minor and that the parties had shown goodwill, particularly by approving a drone budget. She accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of lacking security due to its "dual minority" status and engaging in "all-out confrontation."

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The ruling party's strategy is very simple. The power structure of 'dual minority' combined with political personality makes President Lai Ching-te very insecure. From the first day of his election, he launched a 'regime defense battle.'

Lee further alleged that the DPP is using the upcoming 3.6 trillion NT dollar budget for the next fiscal year, a 20% increase from the current year, as "policy ammunition" for the 2028 presidential election. She suggested that President Lai Ching-te's administration feels insecure and is prioritizing political battles over policy quality, using anti-China sentiment as a shield for a lack of policy achievements.

The legislative session is set to resume in September, with the 2027 central government budget and personnel appointments for the Control Yuan and the National Communications Commission expected to be major points of contention.

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The 3.6 trillion NT dollar budget for the next fiscal year, an increase of nearly 600 billion NT dollars from the current year, a growth rate of up to 20%, is clearly preparing 'policy ammunition' for the 2028 presidential election, using national budgets as campaign weapons.