2021-03-08 Interview with Gero Günther
Channel: PDIS
Date: 2021-03-15

Magazine of the Greens, Germany
Interview with Mx. Secretary Audrey Tang
8 March 2021

Questions

Audrey Tang, you must be the only minister in the world, who says goodbye to all her interviewers by using the vulcan salute from Star Trek. Politics is not only about what you say, but also how you communicate it?

„Humor over rumor“ is one of the slogans Taiwan is using in fighting the pandemic. How funny can a government get in such serious matters?

(And why can a dog master what professors have not managed to do?)

Fighting a pandemic necessarily is a collective effort. Taiwan has put a lot of importance in finding creative consensual solutions. How have you managed to instigate such fruitful collaboration with your citizens and diverse private players?

In Germany and Europe we are experiencing major difficulties in fighting the pandemic. Would you have some advice for us?

In Taiwan the access to broadband is a human right, that you as a digital minister stand for. Why is it so important?

In many interviews you have stressed that making mistakes is a natural part of governing. How transparent should a government be? Are there limits?

As a digital minister you put a lot of importance in the design of government websites. Interface Design is not just a trendy add-on but at the very core of solution finding. (Which seems btw a very Bauhaus thing).

You seem to define democracy as something which is not simply fixed and finished. (Your kind of democracy rather seems to be something organic, which constantly has to be negotiated and co-created). Could you please describe this concept to our readers.

What is your vision of a future tech-smart democracy?

Optimism, it seems, has a lot to do with trust. How does this reflect on your work and accessability as a politician and how does this shape your contact with your fellow citizens?

In mainland China turbo-consumerism and total control go hand in hand. Taiwan’s handling of personal data seems to be the exact opposite. How important is the protection of privacy even under pandemic conditions?

You embody a style of politics totally opposed to the „top dog“ way of doing things. Is this the kind of leadership and governance that can help to fight political disenchantment?

You stand for the power of diversity, which is also a principle that is very dear to the German Green Party. How do you manage to turn what some people would call „vulnerabilty“ and „imperfection“ into strength?

According to you, citizens do not need to agree on everything in order to live and work together. „Rough consensus“, as you call it, is enough. What does it mean? And how can this pragmatic yet hopeful concept shape our future?