On Saturday, July 26, the results of the first round of recall voting in Taiwan were announced, with no opposition party lawmakers being recalled. Nearly 4 million Taiwanese participated in the voting on Saturday and the ballots were counted on the same day. Both major political parties acknowledged the election results, once again highlighting Taiwan’s mature democracy.
The results revealed that 24 Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers and former People’s Party member and current Hsinchu City Mayor Ko Hung-an could continue their positions. For a recall motion to pass, it must receive support from over a quarter of eligible voters in the constituency and the total support votes must exceed the total opposing votes.
Supporters of the recall criticized KMT lawmakers and their allies for obstructing key legislation, especially the defense budget, and for passing controversial amendments perceived to weaken executive power and favor the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP has always sought to reunify Taiwan by force but has never governed the island in history.
The actions of the opposition parties have raised concerns among some Taiwanese about the integrity of Taiwan’s democracy and its ability to deter military threats from the CCP, prompting the recall movement.
The KMT has accused the ruling party of engaging in political retaliation, challenging Taiwan’s democratic system.
William Yang, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group for Northeast Asia, told Bloomberg that Saturday’s election results in Taiwan show that more Taiwanese still support maintaining the existing power balance in Taiwanese politics, where the opposition party holds a majority in the legislature while the ruling party controls the executive branch.
Currently, of the 113 seats in the Legislative Yuan, the KMT has a majority with 52 seats, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has a minority of 51 seats, and there are 2 non-affiliated lawmakers aligned with the pan-blue coalition.
A total of 31 KMT lawmakers faced recall voting, with the first 24 legislators voting on Saturday and the remaining 7 seats to be voted on August 23.
If in the recall voting on Saturday and the subsequent by-elections, 6 KMT lawmaker seats are flipped to the DPP, the DPP could gain a majority in the Legislative Yuan (with over half of 57 seats), breaking the current situation of the ruling party having a smaller number of lawmakers than the opposition. This scenario is referred to as “朝小野大” in Chinese, meaning the ruling party has fewer legislators than the opposition.
The Associated Press points out that if the results of the second round of recalls in August are still unfavorable for the DPP, it could mean that the government led by President Lai Ching-te may continue to face strong resistance from the Legislative Yuan until the 2028 elections.
Su Tzu-chiao, a professor at Soochow University’s Department of Political Science, believes that recent legislation promoting cash handouts, salary increases for military and police personnel, as well as welfare improvements, may have played a role in the favorable results for the KMT in Saturday’s elections.
Taiwan’s economy grew by 5.48% in the first quarter of 2025, mainly driven by demand for high-end semiconductors related to artificial intelligence. Taiwanese people still express concerns about housing and everyday commodity prices.
“Despite the setback faced by the DPP in the recall voting, the KMT cannot necessarily relax, as public support for recall actions remains strong and active,” said Su Tzu-chiao. “There is still a lingering dissatisfaction towards the opposition party, with significant mobilization potential.”
Despite significant divisions between the two major political parties, the entire electoral process was orderly, peaceful, reflecting Taiwan’s status as the sole Chinese-speaking society enjoying democracy.
Of the 6.8 million eligible voters, over half participated in Saturday’s voting.
President Lai Ching-te posted a statement on Facebook, urging the public to respect and accept the election results on Saturday.
He stated, “Today’s outcome is not a victory for one side or a failure for the other. Recall or anti-recall, both are legitimate rights of the people under the constitutional system. Despite differing views in society, the Taiwanese people can still express their opinions and make decisions through constitutional and legal means. This is the most precious aspect of democratic Taiwan.”
In a statement, the KMT’s International Department stated, “Today’s results should not be misconstrued as signals on cross-strait or diplomatic policies, nor should they be interpreted as ‘pro-China’ or ‘pro-Taiwan’ stances. On the contrary, it reflects the strength and vitality of Taiwan’s democratic accountability mechanisms.”
On Wednesday, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council stated that Chinese authorities and official media attempted to openly interfere in Taiwan’s elections.