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.
落实“金融十六条”在行动 银行业支持房企授信金额已超5.4万亿元******
记者 杨 洁
2022年11月份以来,“金融十六条”的推出以及三支箭的加速落地,都得到了市场的迅速响应,多家银行同房企签署了意向性授信协议。据中指研究院数据显示,截至1月9日,至少已有105家银行向188家房地产企业提供意向性授信,总额度约54629.33亿元。
近日,人民银行党委书记、银保监会主席郭树清在接受媒体专访时特别强调,要落实“金融十六条”措施和改善优质头部房企资产负债表。
改善优质房企资产负债表是近段时间多项重要会议一再强调的任务。2022年中央经济工作会议指出,“满足行业合理融资需求,推动行业重组并购,有效防范化解优质头部房企风险,改善资产负债状况”。银保监会官网显示,2022年12月份,郭树清主持召开党委(扩大)会议,会议要求“满足房地产市场合理融资需求,改善优质房企资产负债表”。
中信证券首席经济学家明明对《证券日报》记者表示,“改善优质头部房企资产负债表”被多次提及,体现出了稳地产的决心。其中,政策所惠及的主体是“优质头部房企”,意味着政策是有选择性的,保护稳健经营的企业,淘汰无序扩张的企业,促进形成良性的房地产市场。
图金融研究院研究员雒佑对《证券日报》记者表示,通过对优质房企释放流动性,不仅有助于帮助头部企业度过危机,也能通过头部房企的改善引导市场预期。
目前我国金融市场以银行体系为代表的间接融资模式主导,银行信贷是各类企业最重要的融资渠道之一。对房地产企业而言,开发贷是进行地产施工和投资的主要资金来源,房企信贷融资的重要性不言而喻。
记者了解到,由于当前大多为协议授信,具体授信情况还需要商业银行与房企根据情况进一步落实。雒佑表示,“在信贷投放方面,当前要集中解决和防范化解停工衍生的相关风险,帮助地产开发商摆脱资金困境,保证房地产行业‘活起来’,达到‘保项目+保优质主体’的目的。此外,在因城施策背景下,后续在项目及主体上配合政府及地方继续提供更多的金融和信贷支持,比如提高对房地产商信贷敞口的容忍度,提供更多的资金保障。”
在明明看来,后续银行在投放信贷前应对企业的财务、经营状况进行深入、细致的调查,降低违约风险。同时,银行也应该对信贷资金的使用进行约束,结合房企的实际情况进行有针对性的支持,确保资金流向最紧缺的薄弱环节以及重点项目,防止资金滥用。
中指研究院企业研究总监刘水表示,2022年前三季度,房地产新增贷款占各项新增贷款比例仅为4.7%,而2021年同期是18.1%,房地产新增贷款增速明显低于各项贷款增速水平。2023年,金融机构继续落实“金融十六条”,改善优质头部房企资产负债状况,随着银行授信的落地,房地产贷款投放将明显提速。此外,优质头部房企在发债及股权融资等方面,也将继续得到支持。
明明预计,今年个人住房贷款和房地产开发贷款都将比2022年小幅扩张。个人住房贷款方面,一是商品房销售增速将在2023年逐步回正,全年有望实现正增长,二是房贷的早偿现象可能会较2022年有一定缓解。这两个因素的变化将使今年个人住房贷款规模趋于增长。房地产开发贷款作为稳定房地产市场融资环境的“第一支箭”,2022年下半年已经开始逐渐发挥作用,预计2023年将对房地产企业提供更大的支持,满足行业合理融资需求,确保房地产市场平稳健康发展。
“2023年房地产销售和投资有望见底回稳,对GDP增长的贡献也有望由负转正。”雒佑表示,接下来中央及地方政府在满足购房者刚性和改善性住房需求方面或将进一步发力,在地产转型方面则持续推进城市更新和老旧改造、保障性租赁住房市场、地产代建等新发展模式,这些都需要大规模的资金投放。可以说地产投资已经迎来政策“应出尽出”阶段,2023年也会成为拉动国内投资的主要动力。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)