By AFP | 2026-01-26

HANOI, Vietnam -- Vietnam's ruling Communist Party "unanimously" reelected To Lam as general secretary January 23, confirming the former security enforcer as the country's top leader for the next five years and backing his vision for growth-oriented change.

Just 17 months into his tenure as party chief, Lam has already swept aside rivals and centralized authority in what officials describe as an aggressive reform drive, which they have labelled a "evolution."

The Southeast Asian nation of 100 million people is both a repressive one-party state and a regional economic bright spot. The Communist Party has sought to deliver rapid growth to bolster its legitimacy.

In addition to remaining general secretary, Lam is seeking the presidency, the number two job in Vietnamese politics. The incumbent is Gen. Luong Cuong.

Lam's becoming president would echo the dominance of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and signal a shift away from Vietnam's historically more collaborative decision-making process.

No official announcement was made, but analysts said the makeup of the 19-member politburo, the party's highest decision-making body, indicated he was likely to succeed in that goal.

Two main party factions are seen as vying for dominance, the security wing aligned with Lam and a more conservative military grouping.

Lam's faction dominated the new politburo, with his nearest rival, defense chief Phan Van Giang, relegated to seventh position.

"The way the list is presented, along with the optics surround it, strongly suggest To Lam is set to hold both posts," said Nguyen Khac Giang of Singapore's ISEAS -- Yusof Ishak Institute.

A photo published by state media as the quinquennial party congress closed showed a triumphant Lam flanked by allies Tran Thanh Man, Tran Cam Tu and Le Minh Hung, the next three top-ranking politburo members.

That suggested the five "pillars" of Vietnam's collective leadership system will be held by the four men, analysts said.

"Lam has successfully consolidated his power, his personal power and domination of the politburo," said Vietnam analyst Tuong Vu.

"The whole process showed that no one was able to stop him," he said, adding Lam "got his wish."

'Stunning success'

Elevated to party chief after general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's death in 2024, Lam has shocked the country with the pace of his changes.

He has eliminated whole layers of government, abolishing eight ministries or agencies and cutting almost 150,000 jobs from the state payroll, while pushing ambitious rail and power projects.

Having cemented his position atop the party, he is expected to focus on spurring private sector, digital and technological growth.

At a news conference concluding the party congress, he called for a "new growth model" that speeds up decision-making and unleashes the private sector to achieve 10% annual growth for the next five years.

Vietnam has proved surprisingly resilient in the face of new 20% tariffs imposed by Washington, clocking 8% growth last year, among the fastest in Asia.

But the balancing act between the United States -- its main export market -- and its largest supplier, China, has grown tougher as Washington has taken aim at illegal transshipment.

In the face of international "difficulties and volatilities," Lam said that Vietnam would elevate foreign affairs to "the same level as the tasks of defense and security," seeking new strategic partnerships and trading relationships.

The ruling party tolerates little dissent and regularly jails critics, more than 160 of whom are behind bars, according to Human Rights Watch.

Lam's move to combine the roles of president and Communist Party general secretary "could pose risks to Vietnam's political system," Le Hong Hiep, senior researcher at ISEAS -- Yusof Ishak Institute, said, according to Reuters.

Unlike in present-day China or the Kim dynasty's North Korea, political power in Vietnam has not previously been concentrated in one paramount leader.

Lam would be the first person to secure the top two jobs at a party congress rather than stepping in following a holder's death. The presidential nomination would need formal confirmation by the national assembly.

Lam will "continue to dominate policymaking" either way, said Laura Schwartz, an analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.