Last February he took office in Taiwan the new Legislative Yuan, the unicameral parliament, after the elections of January 13th. If he won the presidential elections Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, the most disliked in Beijing), no one achieved an absolute majority in the legislative elections. The role of deputies will be even more important than in the past in understanding the future positioning of Taipei, as well as its relations with the People's Republic of China. Among the 113 deputies, there is also Huang Jie (DPP), who won his seat in the important southern city of Kaohsiung despite an electoral campaign that started late, given that she entered the race to replace one of her party colleagues who was forced to withdraw due to rumors of an extramarital affair with a Chinese woman. At 31, Huang is the youngest parliamentarian. Not only. She is also the first MP ever to be openly part of the LGBTQ+ community. «I hope that my victory brings courage to many people», says Huang in an interview with The printin her new office as a Taipei congresswoman.
What does the victory mean for you personally and for Taiwan in general?
«I am clearly happy to have achieved this result despite the many difficulties. I showed that it has become normal for Taiwan to have young people participate in political life. Above all, I hope that my victory can also give confidence to the LGBTQ+ community. The fact that there is a female deputy openly belonging to this community is a sign that our democracy is becoming even more mature.”
You joined the DPP only last year but in the past you were an activist of the Sunflower Movement (which in 2014 protested against the government of the then president Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang, ed.). What brought you to the DPP and how much of the “spirit” of the Sunflower Movement do you think remains in the party?
«When I decided to become involved in politics I did it because I wanted to actively contribute to political life and to our democratic system. I did it first with the New Power Party (political expression of the Sunflower Movement, ed.), then as an independent in the Kaohsiung city council. Recently I realized that perhaps the DPP is the right place to succeed and to find myself. I still have the same spirit, there is still that spirit of the Sunflower Movement. But it is not the same as what is shared by many of the younger ones. It is still shocking to me to understand that in the space of ten years that spirit has changed shape and that the democracy that today's twenty-year-olds seek and chase is not the same as the one we were chasing ten years ago.”
What is the difference?
«Ten years ago we wanted to avoid being too dependent on China. We protested against the government because we wanted to maintain a fair distance. For twenty-year-olds in 2024, it is perhaps normal to feel Taiwanese and do not believe they have to make a choice about relations with Beijing. This worries me, especially if they think they don't have to fight to maintain what we have built so far. If they don't believe they have to do it, it will be easier to risk losing him.”
During the election campaign, Lai Ching-te called the elections “a choice between democracy and authoritarianism”. In your opinion, was this a correct definition and what does Lai's victory mean?
«I think Lai's victory means that Taiwan wants stability and wants to defend its democracy. But many voters, starting with young people, didn't believe they had to choose on this and when going to the polls they probably thought about other things.”
In 2019, Taiwan became the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. But are you still attacked for coming out? Are there still improvements to be made on civil rights?
«In the past, especially during the time of the Kaohsiung city council, I was attacked a lot by both political rivals and ordinary citizens, especially on the internet. But it still happens now. I have to say though that the voices against same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights are much weaker, even just a few years ago. I believe that legalization was also an opportunity for Taiwanese families to talk about these topics and see things from a more correct perspective. There are still several steps forward to be made. Starting from the revision of the law on assisted procreation, to include single women and same-sex couples.”
At the same time, the death penalty still exists in Taiwan. He also talked about it during the election campaign. Should it be abolished?
«It is a controversial issue. I hope for a progressive abolition, but it is not that simple because the cancellation of the death penalty is still very unpopular among Taiwanese.”
The new president of the Legislative Yuan is Han Kuo-yu, who the opposition Kuomintang (KMT, more in dialogue with Beijing, ed.) defines as its “super warrior”. You know him well, in fact you became famous for a discussion you had with him in the council when he was mayor of Kaohsiung. What kind of opposition do you expect from him and the KMT?
«I'm still surprised. He was removed as mayor of Kaohsiung but is now president of the Legislative Yuan. To look at things from the bright side, this shows that politics is interesting and democracy is unpredictable. There are also those who are already wondering whether, given the unpredictability of Han himself, history could repeat itself again with his second removal. However, I believe that we must accept this choice and this result, trying to collaborate and work together for the good of all. We hope to be able to have a good relationship even if we know that in the past the climate has always been one of confrontation. We must be ready for four difficult years full of obstacles in the legislative branch.”
Many younger voters chose the “third wheel”, Ko Wen-je's Taiwan People's Party, abandoning the DPP. How come? And what must the DPP do to win back the favor of younger people?
«I think something is broken in the dialogue between the DPP and the younger ones. Today almost all young people do not read newspapers or watch television news, but only get information on the internet. And over half of the time they spend with their phones is spent on TikTok. In Taiwan, the issue of TikTok is very sensitive given this app's relationship with China. The DPP has given up on using this tool, but has also avoided addressing this and other controversial issues. Instead, I believe that these issues need to be addressed. If we are not there we have no tools to talk to younger people. The Internet is a very important political battlefield. We always criticize the KMT for being an “old” party, but even they are better than the DPP on social media and new apps. Previously the DPP was able to talk to young people, now it is no longer able to do so also because it has given up using some tools. And after eight years in government it is normal to be perceived as something distant, if that communication is not re-established the disconnect will be even wider in the future.”
Beyond communication, what are the other problems that should be solved to re-establish that bond with younger people?
“Surely we should be talking about generational and distributive justice for young people who feel deprived of opportunities due to low wages and a growing wealth gap. But I also don't think the price of houses is the main issue. Emotion, the desire to be against the system, counts a lot. I know, because until a few years ago I was a twenty-year-old protesting against the government. This is why I say that the DPP cannot afford to remain disconnected from the younger ones.”
What do you think the relationshi
p with Beijing should be? And as a young woman, as well as a young congresswoman, how do you imagine the future of Taiwan?
«It's a very complicated issue. As President Tsai Ing-wen said, we are ready to have a dialogue based on reciprocity, dignity and mutual respect. It depends on whether Xi Jinping also has or will have the same desire. What we can do is strengthen our democracy, our economy and our ability to protect them. I imagine, and hope, the future of Taiwan will be even better than the present.”
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