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.
2023年“欢乐春节”庆典音乐会柏林举办******
中新社柏林1月16日电 2023年“欢乐春节”庆典音乐会暨《民族盛装》图片展开幕式16日晚在柏林中国文化中心(下称“中心”)举办 。活动共吸引了150多位中德嘉宾出席，多位旅德知名中国音乐家和德国音乐家为来宾奉上了一场中西合璧 的视听文化盛宴 。
中国驻德国大使馆公使曾颖如在致辞中表示 ，春节是中国最为重要 的传统佳节，也日益受到世界各地人们的喜爱。多年来 ，德国各地春节庆祝活动丰富多彩 ，“欢乐春节”文化品牌更是为德国民众所熟知和认可 ，成为传播中华文化、让德国了解中国的重要窗口和载体 。随着新冠疫情日益放缓，中国及时调整了疫情防控政策 ，并颁布实施了中外人员往来便利化举措 ，相信在新的一年里中德文化和旅游等各领域交流将迎来不断前行的蓬勃动力。
柏林中国文化中心主任孙勤航表示，每年中心都会举办欢庆春节 的活动，深受柏林民众欢迎 。今年中心将推出以“欢乐春节”为主题的线上和线下系列庆祝活动，包括音乐会、展览、电影、文化沙龙 、视频图片展播以及春节文化体验等形式和内容 。今年中心也将迎来成立15周年庆典，中心将继续致力于向德国公众全面介绍中国的发展状况和成就 ，促进中德两国在各领域 的交流与合作，增进两国人民之间 的相互了解和友谊 。
音乐会开场曲目《即兴曲》和《晋调》由中德艺术家合作演奏 ，音乐会演奏作品既有《浏阳河》《大浪淘沙》《红梅赞》《春江花月夜》《彝族舞曲》《雨莲花开》等中国观众耳熟能详的传统曲目，也有勃拉姆斯《匈牙利舞曲》《圆号三重奏》 、贝多芬《春天奏鸣曲》《加森豪尔三重奏》等西方经典曲目 ，体现出中欧文明 的交流互鉴 。
来宾们纷纷表示 ，这是一场令人难忘 的精彩演出， 是对新年最美好 的祝福。
当晚，《民族盛装》图片展同时开幕，该展通过多彩绚丽的民族盛装，为观众呈现中华民族历史变迁 、经济发展、文化演进的壮阔画卷 ，展示中国各民族团结一心 、各美其美的和谐景象。(完)
