Leading a recall effort against Democratic Progressive Party (民進黨) lawmaker Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城) on Tuesday, Taiwan politician Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑) sparked outrage by donning a Nazi armband to attend court, the United Daily News (UDN) and other outlets reported. The German Institute Taipei (德國在台協會), Germany’s representative office in Taiwan, condemned Song’s “shameless” (無恥) and “deliberate” display of Nazi symbols, calling it a severe affront, according to Taiwan’s state-owned Central News Agency (CNA). Song, reportedly affiliated with the opposition Kuomintang party (國民黨), also performed the Nazi salute while carrying a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Lee criticized the Kuomintang leadership for distancing itself, calling the incident a “serious international scandal” that could damage Taiwan’s relations with Israel, Germany and European nations.
