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.
尹锡悦正式就任韩国总统 他是否会按下“重启键”?******
中新网北京5月10日电(张奥林)5月10日,尹锡悦正式就任韩国总统。由于与刚卸任的文在寅在政治理念上有明显差异,尹锡悦的就任,被外界形容为韩国国家战略的重启。
资料图:韩国总统尹锡悦。——经济重启
“大韩民国再次飞跃、共同过上美好生活”,这是韩国总统职务交接委员会公布的新政府国政愿景。委员会说,这一愿景反映了“时代使命”和“国民要求”。
国政目标之下,交接委员会还列出了110项具体国政课题。其中,首要课题是帮助韩国的中小企业把销售额恢复到新冠疫情前的水平,以求恢复地区商圈的竞争力。
外交学院战略与和平研究中心主任苏浩接受中新网采访时认为,经济政策方面,尹锡悦可能会更多地采取一种自由主义市场经济的管理模式,相对比较宽松。同时,他会从在疫情中遭受重大打击的中小企业入手,以刺激经济复苏。
此外,“帮助青年人摆脱居住、就业、教育等困境”“成为科技超级强国”以及“建立创新金融系统”等也被列入主要课题。
- 4月22日,韩国首尔市政府宣布位于首尔广场的临时核酸检测点终止运营,并于当日中午12时起开始拆除工作。中新社记者 刘旭 摄
——防疫政策重启
重启经济,还需兼顾防疫政策的平衡。
文在寅政府曾在新冠疫情初期进行严控,此后“与疫情共存”,之后又收紧防疫,种种措施褒贬参半。
随着目前韩国总体疫情形势趋缓。苏浩认为,作为“政治素人”,尹锡悦在疫情防控方面缺乏相关经验,大选时也没有提出更多具体政策。总体来看,如果疫情反弹不是很严重的话,尹锡悦可能依然会采取相对宽松的防疫方式。
但5月8日最新数据显示,韩国当日新增确诊超4万例,自3月底疫情现拐点以来,首次较一周前有所增加。虽然尚不能确定韩国疫情已经出现反弹,但有韩媒指出,这也为尹锡悦上台后的防疫政策拉响了警钟。
宽松的抗疫措施是为了“重启经济”,但这可能会导致一个矛盾的情况——“防疫措施放宽后,疫情会扩散,反过来又会对经济造成阻碍”,苏浩表示,这可能是尹锡悦上台后会面临的一个重要挑战。
资料图:美韩军事演习。——外交政策重启
“作为保守政治家,尹锡悦上台后可能会进一步强化与美国在军事安全上的配合,政治安全上可能更多靠向美国。”苏浩指出。
从选举开始,尹锡悦就不断在打“亲美”牌——如提出加强美日韩同盟,计划在未来加入五眼联盟和美日印澳“四方安全对话”机制(QUAD)。
胜选后,尹锡悦派遣赴美的韩美政策协商代表团更表示,尹锡悦期望将韩美关系提升为更高水平的全面战略同盟。
苏浩分析说,俄乌冲突的背景下,美国加大了对所谓印太盟国关系的强化,同时在积极准备“QUAD+”,而这个“+”的首选,就是韩国。目前的韩国,正朝着美国所引导的方向靠拢。
- 资料图:韩国总统尹锡悦。
“这将是一个战略性选择,也将是他上台后的最大挑战。”苏浩强调。
对于目前仍处在低谷的韩日关系,苏浩认为,应美国的要求,韩日双方目前都在进行一些协调。尹锡悦上台后,可能会延续保守派的政治传统,进一步协调韩日关系,加上美国的牵引,两国关系可能会回暖。
针对中韩关系,尹锡悦在胜选后表示,韩中加强合作,有利于两国实现各自发展、造福两国人民,也将为东北亚地区和平稳定作出贡献。韩方愿同中方密切高层交往,增进互信,促进民间友好,推动韩中关系向更高水平发展。
中国外交部发言人赵立坚则表示,中韩两国是搬不走的邻居,也是相互离不开的重要伙伴。今年是中韩建交30周年,30年来中韩关系实现快速发展,给两国和两国人民带来了实实在在的利益,也为促进地区和平发展作出了积极贡献。中方愿同韩方共同努力,以建交30周年为契机,推动两国关系健康稳定发展,更好地造福两国人民。(完)
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