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.
土耳其怒而召见西方九国大使,这件事“悬了”!******
中新网2月3日电(甘甜)放狠话、召大使……近日,土耳其与欧美多国的外交争端再度升级。
而愤怒之中的土耳其,还给寻求加入北约的瑞典亮起了“黄灯”。分析称,至少在土耳其大选结束之前,瑞典“入约”进程或将继续停滞不前。
资料图:2月2日,德国驻土耳其伊斯坦布尔总领事馆外,一辆装甲警车正在附近看守。外交争端升级!土耳其召见九国大使
当地时间2月2日,土耳其外交部召见美国、荷兰、瑞士、瑞典、英国、德国、比利时、法国及意大利的驻土大使和代表,对这些国家临时发布土耳其旅行警告或关闭驻土领事馆的行为表示关切。
土耳其外交部表示,各国几乎同步采取的行动不够谨慎和妥当,这种做法只会助长恐怖主义行为。
土耳其为何有此举动?这还要从近日在瑞典等国发生的反对土耳其的示威活动说起。
当地时间1月21日,瑞典首都斯德哥尔摩一连举行多场涉及土耳其和瑞典加入北约的抗议活动。期间一名极右翼政党的领导人在土耳其大使馆附近公开焚烧了《古兰经》,引发土方强烈谴责。
作为对焚烧《古兰经》的回应,有约200名抗议者在土耳其伊斯坦布尔的瑞典领事馆前举行集会。集会中有人焚烧了一面瑞典国旗。
在此之后,荷兰与丹麦街头也出现了类似场面。
尽管一些欧洲国家对此进行谴责,但也有瑞典官员声称,出于言论自由,无法阻止事件的发生。
不仅如此,以“安全原因”为由,意大利和美国等向本国公民发出警告,称在土耳其发生袭击的风险增加。与此同时,德国、法国和荷兰等还暂时关闭了在土使领馆。
资料图:土耳其总统埃尔多安。瑞典“入约”悬了?
西方国家的反应随即引发土耳其怒火。作为回应,土耳其在上周警告其公民,在美国和欧洲存在“可能的仇外心理和种族主义袭击”。
土耳其内政部长索伊卢抨击称,西方发出安全警告是为了向土耳其施压。他还谴责上述国家关闭使领馆,是企图干预或将于5月举行的土耳其总统和议会选举。
“他们正在对土耳其发动心理战。”索伊卢表示,“他们试图破坏土耳其的稳定。”
与此同时,瑞典批准在土驻其使馆外举行的示威后,土耳其照会瑞典驻土耳其大使提出抗议,并取消了瑞典国防大臣访问土耳其的计划。
土耳其总统埃尔多安更是放狠话,只要瑞典听任上述事件的发生,意味着安卡拉不会支持瑞典加入北约的要求。
埃尔多安说,土耳其积极看待芬兰申请加入北约,但不支持瑞典的申请。“我们对芬兰的立场是积极的,但对瑞典则不是积极的。”
目前,瑞典正和芬兰一道申请加入北约。按照规程,北约必须在30个成员国“一致同意”前提下才能吸纳新成员。土耳其和匈牙利尚未正式批准瑞典和芬兰加入北约。
原本土耳其就多次高调反对两国加入北约,直到与之达成三方协议。芬兰和瑞典同意在库尔德工人党和武器禁运等问题上,向土耳其让步。
而今,随着土耳其和瑞典之间的矛盾再度升级,瑞典“入约”悬念陡生,而芬兰则被指有机会“单飞”。
路透社称,分析人士预计,至少在土耳其大选结束之前,瑞典加入北约的进程将继续停滞不前。
《卫报》则指出,随着外交争端发酵,安卡拉已暂停了两国加入北约的谈判。外界此前预计7月在立陶宛首都维尔纽斯举行的北约峰会上,两国有望获准成为北约成员,如今希望可能会破灭。
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