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.
长三角示范区生态环境一体化典型案例发布******
元荡岸线整治前 长三角一体化示范区执委会供图
中新网上海1月10日电 (浦帆)近日,长三角一体化示范区执委会(以下简称“执委会”)联合两省一市三级八方相关部门编印发布了《示范区生态环境一体化保护典型案例》。《案例》共收集整理了示范区三年来形成的加强联保共治、夯实生态基底、推动绿色发展三个方面,22项制度创新成果和46个典型案例(应用场景),展示各部门打破行政藩篱,共同探索跨区域生态环境一体化保护制度创新的实践成果。
元荡岸线整治后 长三角一体化示范区执委会供图
此外,《案例》同时优选、收录了加强跨界水体联合共治、生态环境一体化保护、厚植生态优势转化基底、推动绿色创新融合发展等各种类型的应用场景和典型案例,与制度创新成果配套,是一套较为系统地总结提炼示范区生态环境一体化保护创新实践案例经验集成文本图集,也是对示范区生态环保工作阶段性成效的一次集中展示。
示范区首次联合生态监测启动和现场采样长三角一体化示范区执委会供图
在联保共治方面,示范区作为两省一市的跨界毗邻地区,在水污染防治等方面的合作由来已久。示范区成立以来,执委会主动协调,构建两省一市各扬所长、充分共商、联合创制、统一管理的生态环境联保共治体系,持续探索和巩固跨界水体联保共治新机制、新模式。随着全方位联保共治机制的不断深化,示范区环境质量尤其是重点跨界水体水质持续稳定改善,太浦河跨省界断面水质连续三年年均值达到Ⅱ类以上,淀山湖、元荡等重点跨界湖库已经提前达到2025年水质功能目标。
示范区大气超级站科学观测网长三角一体化示范区执委会供图
在生态环境管理制度统一方面,示范区始终坚持把保护和修复生态环境摆在优先位置。以生态环境标准、监测、执法“三统一”制度创新等为重点,持续探索和深化完善生态环境保护一体化制度创新,协同构建示范区生态环境一体化监测网络,不断健全示范区生态环境一体化保护体系。与此同时,围绕构建示范区“一心两廊三链四区”的多样化生态格局,示范区加快实施“一河三湖”岸线生态修复和功能提升工程,开展全域环境治理和生态修复,丰富生境和物种类型,维护和提升生物多样性,持续筑牢示范区生态基底。
在推动绿色发展方面,加快探索绿色创新融合发展路径。示范区三年来坚持筑牢示范区生态绿色本底,持续加大投入,示范区越来越优良的生态绿色基底,已经吸引了华为研发中心、复旦大学创新学院、浙江大学智慧绿洲、同济大学可持续发展研究院、英诺赛科半导体等一批创新研发高等级平台、项目落户,示范区绿色创新融合发展能级效应正不断放大。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)