Following the passing of Vietnam’s long-serving Communist Party general secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, the country is in a period of transition. President To Lam, renowned for his successful implementation of an extensive anti-corruption campaign, has assumed the responsibilities of the general secretary at the Politburo, the Party Central Committee, and the Secretariat on an interim basis.
President Lam, aged 67, was appointed to this role on Thursday, while also maintaining his position as president, a role he undertook just two months ago. The decision on whether he will permanently hold the position of general secretary rests with the Politburo, which is anticipated to make a definitive announcement. If confirmed, President Lam will have the opportunity to solidify his standing within the party before the next congress in 2026, where the country’s top leaders for the subsequent five years will be chosen.
Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, expressed his view saying, “This has probably set the stage for To Lam to become the next general secretary.” However, the final selection is not guaranteed as there exist differing factions within the party that may resist the concentration of power in President Lam.
Despite the leadership transition, analysts believe that Vietnam’s foreign policy and trade relations are unlikely to undergo notable changes. The country is expected to uphold its strategy of maintaining a delicate balance between its interactions with the United States, China, and Russia.
Vietnam, characterized as one of the few remaining Communist regimes globally, operates under a system led by a quartet of leaders known as the ‘four pillars.’ These pillars consist of the party general secretary, the president, the prime minister, and the chairman of the National Assembly, with the general secretary traditionally holding the most authoritative position.
