中新网评:美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后,美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕,众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录,将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图:美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素,众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中,美国民主党议员继续抱团,多轮投票中,一票不投麦卡锡,共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折,除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外,与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面,共和党党内反对者认为,麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱,无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府,另一方面,因为共和党的多数优势微弱,党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大,有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外,党内反对者也认为,自己的选票没有换取更多利益,希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步,比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物,众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任,选举几乎没有悬念。然而,麦卡锡此次为当选,不得不做出多个关键让步,其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制,使得众议长的权力被削弱,难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称,麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步,这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下,党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上,美国两党相互拆台,陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内,也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系,相互对抗,选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举,“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈,长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力,其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病,美国所谓的“民主”形象,让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举,变成了政客们利益置换的游戏,进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能,不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
法国华侨华人:中共二十大报告回答了海外华侨华人的关切******
中新网10月17日电 据法国《欧洲时报》报道,中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会10月16日在北京开幕,旅法华侨华人纷纷观看开幕式直播。他们表示,二十大报告既实事求是,又高屋建瓴、振奋人心,华侨华人要发挥独特优势,和祖(籍)国人民一道,建功新时代、奋进新征程。
法国华侨华人会主席蔡君柱表示,中共二十大是中国人民自信豪迈地站在了实现中华民族伟大复兴新的历史起点上召开的一次具有标志性的重要会议,也将对世界进程产生深刻影响,深刻影响华侨华人的生活。对于华侨华人来说,祖(籍)国的发展是我们的定心丸,是我们发展的定盘星。报告中说,加强和改进侨务工作,形成共同致力民族复兴的强大力量。我们将以更加昂扬的精神、更加坚定的信念,讲好中国故事,积极参与到中华民族复兴的伟大实践中去。
法国青田同乡会会长叶旭群表示,中国创造了人类历史上规模最大、持续时间最长的经济繁荣奇迹,这一切都是在中国共产党领导下完成的,因此,中共二十大不但受到华侨华人关注,也深受外国朋友的关注。二十大报告中全面回答了世界对中国的各种关切,也回答了海外华侨华人的关切。报告充分肯定了华侨华人对中国发展的贡献,我们深以为中国的发展所献微薄之力而自豪。未来,我们也会继续坚定信心,建功新时代。
法国北部华人协会会长潘翔表示,听完二十大报告后感想很多。作为海外青年一代侨领,我们要积极传承中华优秀传统文化,提升中华文化在海外的影响力,讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音,展现可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象,推动中华文化更好走向世界。
全法中国科技工作者协会理事长董长治表示,在当前世界局势下,中共二十大的召开具有非凡的意义。二十大报告中强调,必须坚持科技是第一生产力、人才是第一资源、创新是第一动力,深入实施科教兴国战略、人才强国战略、创新驱动发展战略,开辟发展新领域新赛道,不断塑造发展新动能新优势。同时提出要扩大国际科技交流合作,加强国际化科研环境建设,形成具有全球竞争力的开放创新生态。这增强了海外科技工作者的信心和动力。
全法中国学者学生联合会主席易子博表示,二十大报告中强调深入实施人才强国战略。坚持尊重劳动、尊重知识、尊重人才、尊重创造,实施更加积极、更加开放、更加有效的人才政策。着力形成人才国际竞争的比较优势。这给我们海外学子的未来提供了广阔的施展才能的天地。我们将不负嘱托,刻苦学习,早日成才,融入到全面建设社会主义现代化国家、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴洪流中去。
法国山东同乡联合会会长王博生表示,在当前人类社会面临前所未有的挑战时刻,中共二十大的召开具有深刻的历史意义和现实意义。中国始终坚持维护世界和平、促进共同发展的外交政策宗旨,致力于推动构建人类命运共同体。我们希望全世界人民都能听懂中国人民的真诚呼吁:世界各国弘扬和平、发展、公平、正义、民主、自由的全人类共同价值,促进各国人民相知相亲,尊重世界文明多样性,以文明交流超越文明隔阂、文明互鉴超越文明冲突、文明共存超越文明优越,共同应对各种全球性挑战。中国人民愿同世界人民携手开创人类更加美好的未来。我们海外华侨华人也愿为之而努力。
法国陕西联合会会长李洹通过网络直播全程收看了中共二十大开幕式,感到振奋鼓舞。他说,作为海外青年侨领,将一如既往在海外服务好侨胞,向当地社会讲好中国故事,积极促进家乡与所在国的各领域交流,努力把自身发展与祖(籍)国和家乡发展紧密结合,为中华民族的伟大复兴努力奋斗。(黄冠杰)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)