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.
碳酸锂价格跌破50万元大关 促进动力电池、储能等生产成本降低******
记者 李春莲
见习记者 彭衍菘
1月9日,电池级碳酸锂价格跌破50万元大关,较11月上旬的最高点跌去了约22.83%。
据上海钢联发布的数据显示,1月9日部分锂电材料报价下跌,电池级碳酸锂下跌1万元/吨,均价报49.25万元/吨,工业级碳酸锂下跌1万元/吨,均价报46万元/吨;氢氧化锂下跌7500元/吨至9000元/吨。
业内人士认为,未来碳酸锂供需格局或仍处于紧平衡状态,碳酸锂价格下调还未结束,2023年碳酸锂价格将回归到更合理区间,这为产业中下游带来巨大的成长空间,储能、整车厂、新能源车等行业有望加速发展,产业格局将更加健康。
价格下跌激发需求
事实上,从2022年11月下旬开始,碳酸锂价格就开始呈连续下跌趋势。
“碳酸锂价格多日下跌主要是受到新能源汽车补贴退坡等需求面因素的影响,反映市场短期对终端需求减弱的担忧。”川财证券首席经济学家陈雳在接受《证券日报》记者采访时表示。
上海钢联新能源事业部锂业分析师曲音飞对《证券日报》表示,“终端减产导致场内情绪发生转变,贸易商清仓低价出货,需求回落也致使企业厂对厂交易博弈明显,下游高价采买情绪极弱,场内交易冷清,冶炼厂出货价格同步下调,加之下游中小企业也存抛货行为,场内现货资源增多,供需差拉大导致价格持续走跌。”
具体从新能源汽车产业的角度来看,碳酸锂价格的回调和供给需求的调整密不可分。盘古智库高级研究员江瀚在接受《证券日报》记者采访时表示,“目前的市场需求没有预期那么好,新能源汽车补贴的结束将对2023年一季度的整体需求有一定的削弱作用,这使得下游的车企和动力电池厂商在原材料采购上更加谨慎,从而导致市场的回调。”
不过,随着碳酸锂价格的下降,新能源汽车产业链中下游的成本不断降低,有望迎来机遇。
陈雳分析,碳酸锂价格下跌,叠加正极加工费、负极和电解液等核心材料价格下行趋势明确,意味着未来行业成本将显著下降,企业盈利边际改善,价格上有更大自主空间,有望刺激新能源车需求恢复,储能需求或将进一步爆发,锂电板块的中长期成长性较高。
江瀚认为,成本的降低会增强新能源汽车企业和动力电池企业的自身竞争力,中下游更多的产业机会开始显现,有助于整个行业更好的发展。
北京特亿阳光新能源科技有限公司总裁祁海珅同意这一判断。他认为,碳酸锂价格下跌对于新能源汽车行业的整体健康度和可持续性发展是有利的。“锂价适当的下跌有利于新兴电力系统的构建,有利于储能项目市场需求的激发。”
对价格走势判断不一
曲音飞认为,2023年碳酸锂价格主要趋势仍以看跌为主,但中间不排除有回调机会。陈雳则表示,在下游需求的支撑下,碳酸锂价格下跌幅度有限。
江瀚认为,碳酸锂价格未来还会有一定的下跌,但其维持在一个区间内盘整的可能性较大。“伴随着整体市场需求和供给的逐渐回暖,同时也包括盐湖提锂技术的不断完善,2023年的磷酸铁锂的供需不会显著失衡。”
1月6日,丰元股份在投资者互动平台公开表示,公司全资子公司山东丰元锂能科技有限公司拟在玉溪市投资建设规模为20万吨锂电池高能正极材料及配套相关项目,目前正在建设中的为一期项目:年产5万吨磷酸铁锂正极材料及1000吨黏土提锂中试线,后续项目根据一期项目建设的实际情况积极推进。
国轩高科近日表示,宜丰国轩锂业有限公司年产5万吨碳酸锂项目一期(年产2.5万吨)预计2023年4月投产。同时,与其配套的年处理300万吨瓷土矿(含锂)选矿厂同步在厂房施工,预计2023年5月投产。
华西证券预计,2月份新能源汽车产业链的生产经营将逐步恢复正常,下游需求有望好转,锂盐价格大概率逐步企稳。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)