Taiwan is sliding into a slow-motion constitutional crisis as the government and the opposition-run legislature each use their own powers to block the other, with no working court to settle it.

• The cabinet refused to countersign eight bills passed by the legislature — legally questionable, but a sharp counterpunch after the opposition paralyzed the constitutional court.
• Opposition parties call it a breach of the constitution and are holding the budget hostage until the signatures happen.
• Key institutions are already frozen: the media regulator NCC is stuck over appointments, and the watchdog Control Yuan has no members at all.
• The election commission still functions, but four seats expire in about a year — if that body stalls too, it would be a disaster for Taiwanese democracy.
• Both sides are pushing past constitutional limits, including how the legislature handles spending, and neither trusts the other's nominees enough to fill the empty seats.

Outlook: No immediate collapse, but unless President Lai and the opposition strike a deal on appointments, the standoff could turn into a full constitutional crisis within roughly a year.