Taiwan’s legislative reforms will weaken the president

Significance

The TPP is not a natural ally for either the KMT or Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) but it has enabled a KMT initiative to hobble the presidency. Lai intends to appeal to the constitutional court, arguing that the law unduly curbs his power.

Impacts

• Public protests, already present before the passage of the amendments, will likely continue.
• Diplomatic allies will seek clarification over the bills' potential negative impact on national security given data sharing requirements.
• Private firms will object to the bills’ potential to reveal trade secrets and proprietary information via proposed legislative oversight.
• KMT attacks on the presidency could backfire and dent party support.