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.
驻保加利亚大使董晓军夫妇举行2023年“温暖迎春”招待会******
中新网1月19日电 据中国驻保加利亚大使馆微信公众号消息，2023年1月16日，驻保加利亚大使董晓军夫妇举行2023年“温暖迎春”招待会。保加利亚副总统约托娃、旅游部长迪米特洛夫以及旅保侨胞、中资机构、孔子学院、留学生代表、各界友好人士共140余人欢聚一堂，共迎癸卯新春。
董晓军大使在致辞中向所有旅保同胞、广大关心和支持中保关系发展的各界朋友致以诚挚问候和新春祝福。董大使表示，2022年对中国来说是极不平凡的一年。党的二十大胜利召开，擘画了全面建设社会主义现代化国家的宏伟蓝图；中国继续保持世界第二大经济体的地位，经济稳健发展，全年国内生产总值预计超过120万亿元；疫情发生以来，党和国家始终坚持人民至上、生命至上，坚持科学精准防控，因时因势优化调整防控措施，最大限度保护了人民生命安全和身体健康。
董大使强调，2022年也是中保关系深化发展的一年。中保携手克服新冠疫情影响，两国关系保持健康稳定发展势头，政治、经贸、教育、科技、文化等各领域合作交流不断开创新局面。中保友好之家成立，成为推动中保友好事业的重要力量。
董大使感谢广大在保同胞长期以来为祖国发展建设和中保友好事业辛勤耕耘。他表示，2023年是全面贯彻落实党的二十大精神的开局之年，希望广大在保同胞在新的一年里，不忘初心、同舟共济，继续发挥好桥梁纽带作用，为推动中保友好关系发展和全面建设社会主义现代化国家、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴贡献力量。
约托娃副总统向全体在保中国公民致以节日问候，并请转达对全体中国人民的新春祝福，表示2023年是保中建交74周年，这将为保中两国合作带来新的机遇。两国将本着传统互信和相互尊重自信前行，继续开发更多领域的发展潜力。她强调近年来中国发展迅速，已成为世界不可或缺的重要力量，保中之间的合作将会继续保持下去！
在喜庆温馨的气氛中，文艺汇演精彩开场。在保留学生带来合唱《灯火里的中国》、《祖国不会忘记》，以朴素真挚的歌声抒发心系祖国、情系桑梓的家国情怀；歌曲《一朵保加利亚玫瑰》展现“玫瑰王国”的风土人情，唱出对中保友谊的美好祝福；使馆小朋友演绎舞蹈《胭脂妆》，天真烂漫、活泼生动，充满中华传统文化韵味；驻保使馆王倬武官一曲《我的保加利亚，我的国》气势磅礴，将晚会气氛推向高潮。
招待会最后，大家共同欣赏焰火表演，在璀璨的烟花下共同抒发对伟大祖国的深情祝福和对新春的美好期盼。(完)
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