Taiwan - June 2025

On 20 June, the Central Election Commission approved recall petitions against at least 24 out of 52 Legislative Yuan members from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party. The petitions were launched by civil society groups in response to controversial opposition bills and motions passed in 2025 that paralyzed the Constitutional Court and led to unprecedented budget cuts, undermining the central government’s operations. Taiwan’s recall process allows voters to remove elected officials from office through a referendum before their terms end, holding representatives accountable outside of regular election cycles. The KMT attempted counter-recalls against DPP lawmakers, however none received sufficient support. Voting is scheduled for 26 July and those legislators who are successfully recalled will not be able to stand in the subsequent by-election, which must occur within three months’ time. Political analysts suggest that the results could allow the Democratic Progressive Party to regain its majority in the legislature or lead to further political gridlock. 

Update: On 26 July, none of the 24 targeted KMT lawmakers were unseated following the first wave of recall votes. Although seven more KMT legislators face recall votes on 23 August, the failure of the first round indicates political gridlock will continue. 

Sources: Focus Taiwan, Financial Times, International IDEA, The Diplomat, The Guardian, Brookings