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.
美国第一夫人再次感染 德国宣布将实行更严格防疫措施******
(抗击新冠肺炎)美国第一夫人再次感染 德国宣布将实行更严格防疫措施
中新社北京8月25日电 综合消息:世界卫生组织官网最新数据显示,截至欧洲中部时间24日17时44分,全球新冠累计确诊病例595219966例,累计死亡病例6453458例。
美洲:美国第一夫人再次感染
根据美国约翰斯·霍普金斯大学的统计数据,截至美国东部时间24日17时20分,美国新冠累计确诊病例超过9388.2万例,累计死亡病例超过104.2万例。
美国第一夫人吉尔·拜登的发言人当地时间24日发表声明说,吉尔·拜登当天新冠病毒检测结果再次呈阳性。她目前没有出现症状,将留在特拉华州并重新进入隔离。白宫医疗团队已通知了密切接触者。
美国白宫当天通报称,美国总统拜登当天新冠病毒检测结果呈阴性。
当地时间本月15日晚,吉尔·拜登出现类似感冒的症状,随后接受新冠病毒检测,结果呈阳性。她在隔离期间服用了治疗新冠的抗病毒口服药,并于当地时间21日新冠病毒检测结果转阴后结束隔离。
欧洲:德国宣布将实行更严格防疫措施 法国将部署新一轮疫苗接种
德国联邦卫生部长劳特巴赫当地时间24日宣布,将从秋季开始实行更加严格的防疫措施。
按照新规,德国各联邦州将根据本州疫情发展情况,在当地时间10月1日至2023年4月7日,分两个阶段做出应对。第一阶段可采取的措施包括要求在室内公共区域、餐厅、咖啡馆和乘坐公共交通时佩戴口罩。在德国全国医院和疗养院中,除“口罩令”外,还必须在进入前提供新冠检测阴性证明。第二阶段,各州还可以实施最小安全距离规定、要求在户外活动佩戴口罩、五年级以上学生在学校佩戴口罩等,以及规定室内活动参与者的上限。各州可以组织新冠检测。
据法国媒体报道,法国卫生部长布劳恩表示,在法国本土,从当地时间6月初开始的“第七波疫情”相关数据持续下降,新冠感染患者和住院患者数量都显著减少,本轮疫情即将结束。
但他警告说,新冠疫情还将出现反弹,秋季可能暴发“第八波疫情”,目前还无法判断接下来的疫情规模。法国政府将部署新一轮新冠疫苗接种,目标受众可能是60岁以上人群。他还透露,“极有可能”使用更有效应对奥密克戎变异株的新配方疫苗。
亚洲:日本连续5周确诊病例数全球最多
据日本共同社当地时间25日报道,世卫组织数据显示,15日至21日的一周内,日本新增新冠确诊病例1476374例,较一周前增加6%,连续5周成为全球新增新冠感染人数最多的国家。
日本多家医院近日发布联合声明,称目前的疫情蔓延已经达到“灾难级别”。日本多地医疗资源紧张,不仅需要住院的新冠患者难以收治,有时其他疾病患者的手术也不得不推迟。
疫情肆虐情况下,日本政府却宣布放宽防疫措施。据日本NHK电视台报道,日本首相岸田文雄当地时间24日表示,为减轻医疗机构负担,将调整新冠疫情应对政策。日本各地方政府可自主判断,将目前报告所有新冠患者信息的做法改为只报告重症风险较高的患者,同时将考虑缩短感染者居家隔离时间。
岸田文雄同时宣布放宽入境政策。他表示,从当地时间9月7日起,提供3针新冠疫苗接种证明的入境者不再需要提供入境前72小时核酸检测阴性报告,并考虑放宽每日入境人数上限。
韩国中央防疫对策本部当地时间25日通报称,截至当天0时,韩国24小时内新增新冠确诊病例113371例,新增死亡病例108例,为118天以来的最高纪录。
韩国防疫部门指出,近一周来,韩国的日增确诊病例数有所减少,但新增死亡病例数和重症病例数将在未来2周至3周持续增加。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)