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.
菲律宾总统访华：打造更加紧密的中菲关系****** 中国网1月5日讯（记者李智）新年伊始，中国迎来了一位远道而来的客人。1月4日，国家主席习近平在人民大会堂同来华进行国事访问的菲律宾总统费迪南德·马科斯举行会谈，这也是两国元首自去年11月泰国曼谷会见之后的再相聚。新加坡《联合早报》刊文指出，这是马科斯去年6月就任菲律宾总统以来的首次访华，也是中国在2023年接待的首位外国领导人。 习近平主席指出，中方始终把菲律宾放在周边外交优先方向，坚持从战略和全局高度看待中菲关系。马科斯表示，这是其首次对东盟以外国家进行国事访问，希望通过此访向世界证明，菲中关系十分良好也十分重要，双方都高度重视彼此关系，都致力于将菲中关系提升至新的高度。 俄罗斯卫星新闻通讯社网站报道称，马科斯在本次会晤中强调，中国是菲律宾最强劲的合作伙伴，没有什么能够阻挡菲中友谊的延续和发展。菲方坚持一个中国政策。菲方愿继续通过友好协商妥善处理海上问题，同中方重启油气开发磋商。感谢中方为菲律宾抗击疫情提供的宝贵帮助。期待疫情过后，更多中国民众赴菲旅游和学习，两国人民往来更加密切，为两国关系长远发展奠定更加坚实牢固的基础。 法国国际广播电台网站注意到两国元首还讨论了农业和医药等领域的合作，并签署了一系列基础设施、渔业、旅游和其他部门的合作协议。 马科斯访华前夕，菲华商联总会曾表示其成员也会加入马科斯访华团，“我们相信这次历史性的国事访问对菲律宾经济的增长潜力具有重大意义，因为中国是我们最重要的经济和贸易伙伴，是世界级的新兴经济大国，也是我们的邻居。” 中菲两国于1975年6月9日建交。建交以来，中菲关系总体发展顺利，各领域合作不断拓展。2018年11月，习近平主席对菲进行国事访问，两国领导人一致决定建立全面战略合作关系。2020年，中国对菲非金融类直接投资1.4亿美元。2021年，双边贸易额达820.5亿美元。中国是菲律宾第一大贸易伙伴、第一大进口来源地、第二大出口市场。 近来，随着中国疫情防控政策的调整，中外交流愈加频繁，也将拉动中国乃至世界的经济发展。菲律宾总统访华对中菲两国关系具有重大意义，两国将以2025年中菲建交50周年为契机，致力于打造更加紧密的政治、经济、科技和人文关系。 三分快三地图 |
