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.
二股东配售1.47亿股 呷哺沸腾依旧?******
投资人的举动往往格外被资本市场看重。1月10日,呷哺集团股价跳水,业内则是将原因归结于一则“二股东配售全部1.47亿股”的消息。随后,有相关人士确认了这一消息,并透露接手方或为多家战略投资机构。对于这一举动,有分析认为该运作均属于投资项目正常操作。不过也有声音指出会在市场中造成一定负面情绪。随着市场竞争加剧,呷哺集团股价有回升但大幅上涨存在挑战,不排除其股价已是阶段性高位的可能,呷哺集团还应该更加专注于业绩的回升。
接手方或为投资机构
火锅市场因为呷哺集团格外沸腾。1月10日,呷哺集团的股价变成了业界关注的重点,该公司早盘低开超7%,报9.14港元/股。业内猜测,呷哺集团股价下跌与其股东售卖股票的消息存在较大关联。
据相关媒体报道称,呷哺集团第二大股东General Atlantic Singapore Fund Pte(以下简称“General Atlantic ”)通过配售股份,出售其所持有的1.47亿股呷哺集团全部股份。
对此,北京商报记者从接近呷哺呷哺相关人士处了解到,呷哺呷哺第二大股东General Atlantic已通过大宗交易,配售手持全部1.47亿股,造价每股9.25-9.3元。据相关消息透露,接手方或为多家战略投资机构。
关于呷哺集团第二大股东配售全部股份的真实性,北京商报记者联系到呷哺集团,对方表示未来会发布相关公告。据了解,呷哺呷哺10日收盘价为9.11港元/股,下跌7.79%。呷哺集团于1998年11月正式成立,1999年在北京西单明珠开设第一家餐厅,并于2014年在香港交易所主板上市。
国内外新开门店超240家
在股权变动的同时,呷哺集团方面对外宣布称,从全国市场来看,业绩正在全面复苏中,2023年,将继续启动全面扩张战略,全年在国内和海外计划新开门店超240家。
开店计划看得出呷哺集团前进步伐并未止步,而从近几年呷哺集团的财务数据来看,近三年来呷哺呷哺业绩成绩单并不出色。当然其在财报中也多次表示,持续不断的疫情导致部分餐厅无法正常营业,是公司业绩急剧下滑的主要原因。
其实,自2021年5月呷哺集团创始人、董事长贺光启重新出山后,呷哺呷哺便动作不断,开始为其业绩寻找新出口。从2021年7月呷哺呷哺发布公告称决定关闭200家亏损门店,再到同年8月重新上任CEO的贺光启首次发声,称发现呷哺呷哺部分门店存在严重选址错误。去年9月,呷哺旗下新品牌趁烧在上海正式开业,这也是贺光启带队后的首个新品牌,计划在2023年开出至少20家门店。而在近期呷哺集团也推出“充多少送多少”储值优惠活动,根据公司透露的数据,截至目前,已储值1.94亿元,发放1.94亿元的消费券。而上述这一系列动作似乎意在向资本市场证明自身能力。
香颂资本董事沈萌指出,呷哺集团的业绩表现受疫情影响较大,随着近期复工复产加速,呷哺集团股价已经有所反弹。但从长期来看,经济环境下行会加剧连锁餐饮市场竞争,呷哺集团股价大幅上涨存在挑战,不排除General Atlantic认为呷哺集团股价已是阶段性高位的可能。
应更专注于业绩回升
作为火锅市场中为数不多的上市企业,呷哺集团得到更多资本支持的同时,其一举一动也受到公众的监督。正因如此,如何给出更好的业绩表现,并为资本注入更多信心便是呷哺集团需要思考的。
资深连锁产业专家文志宏表示,一般来说,上市公司股票的大宗交易与投资者的投资及战略意图存在关联。对于退出者而言,很可能是投资计划达到了一定节点,或是收益率达到一定程度,便决定退出。对于想要入局的投资者而言,若是对于特定行业或企业存在投资意向,也会通过大宗交易的形式。
而这一举措会给呷哺带来哪些影响呢?一位资本业内人士分析表示,作为投资者,资本市场的运作均属于投资项目正常操作,无需过分解读,流通性强也说明企业备受关注;另一方面,减持或抛售股票需关注接手方是谁,接手方的动机才是最应该考虑的。
不过,沈萌进一步指出,第二大股东折让配售,会在市场中造成一定负面情绪。若接手方为多家机构,那么各机构的资金投入规模与股份占比都相对较少,很难为呷哺集团提供比General Atlantic更多的支持。二级市场的价格波动与业绩表现存在关联,目前,呷哺集团应该更加专注于业绩的回升。
文志宏指出,随着复工复产的推进,餐饮业处于复苏期,而资本市场也对此较为期待。在此情况下,若General Atlantic为呷哺集团的原始股东,抛售股票的行为则是向投资者发出较为不利的信号。反之,General Atlantic的举动便不带有利好或利空的意味。目前看来,呷哺集团的股价虽然半年内有一定回升,但与其市值高点还存在差距。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)