On April 28, 2024, personnel announcements for the incoming Lai Ching-te cabinet confirmed that former Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung would be appointed as a Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan. The appointment immediately sparked fierce criticism from opposition parties and the public. KMT and TPP legislators slammed the move as blatant "political patronage," pointing out that Chen had triggered widespread public anger during the COVID-19 pandemic due to poor decision-making—such as the lack of meeting records for the "3+11" policy and the controversial Medigen vaccine procurement—and had lost his bid for Taipei Mayor. Returning to the cabinet in a high-ranking position was viewed as a direct provocation to mainstream public opinion.
Furthermore, there were widespread concerns that because Chen’s political seniority far exceeded that of the newly appointed Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan, Chen would override and sideline Chiu, acting as an "underground minister" who bypasses institutional boundaries to direct the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Although the ministry later clarified that a Minister without Portfolio only handles cross-ministerial coordination, the appointment was still widely criticized as a prime example of factional interest-sharing within the DPP and a refusal to self-reflect on its pandemic policies.
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