Why is the popularity of Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen plummeting?
Six months into her presidency, DPP leader is sharing same fate as her KMT predecessor Ma Ying-jeou
Beset by protests by disgruntled islanders and increased pressure from Beijing, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is battling falling popularity after six months in office.
Like her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou, of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), Tsai’s popularity has plummeted early in her presidency due to economic problems and public disappointment with the government’s performance.
Analysts said that if Tsai was to avoid the same fate as Ma, who stepped down in May with a disapproval rating more than double his approval rating, she must find ways to overcome a litany of challenges – from a cross-strait stalemate to a lacklustre economy and protests over government policy flip-flops.
And, more importantly, they said, she must be able to deal with new challenges brought about by Donald Trump’s inauguration as the next US president in January, with changes to America’s global engagement and economic policies bound to have an impact on Taiwan.
Tsai refused to accept poll results showing that satisfaction with her policies had fallen below 50 per cent after just 100 days in office, saying it was unreasonable to judge her performance in such a short time, but her public approval ratings have only deteriorated since then.