The octogenarian general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam – the most important post in the country – handed over the leadership of the Central Committee to the former Minister of Security who ascended to the presidency in May, following the “resignations” that took place in recent months as a result of the anti-corruption campaign. And it further strengthens the mortgage on the succession.
Hanoi (/Agencies) – The leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong (pictured), is in hospital. And President To Lam – the new strongman in Hanoi – has been tasked with also taking on his duties of supervising the work of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat. The news, which further strengthens the leadership in Hanoi of the politician who defeated all his internal opponents with the “fight against corruption”, was announced this afternoon by Vietnamese official sources.
In the hierarchy of power in Hanoi, the post of Party General Secretary is the most important, and the octogenarian Nguyen Phu Trong holds it for a third term that is due to end in early 2026. But rumours have long circulated about his poor health and his public appearances have been very few in recent months. This is despite the fact that the top of the Vietnamese political class has been shaken by a real earthquake that led to the resignation of most of the leaders most likely to succeed him, including President Vo Van Thuong and the speaker of the National Assembly, Vuong Dinh Hue.
The one who has emerged stronger is To Lam, 67, a former security minister, who became the new president and is now officially taking over the leadership of the Party (albeit on a temporary basis). The only remaining antagonist in Hanoi is Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, 65, who under current internal rules would be the only one who meets the requirements of seniority in the Politburo necessary to be able to challenge him for the post of general secretary at the next Congress.
“The Politburo, the Secretariat, top leaders and permanent members of the Secretariat have ordered specialized agencies to focus on mobilizing a team of outstanding professors, doctors, medical staff and experts and provide the most favorable conditions to treat and protect the health of the general secretary,” says a note published today by VietnamPlusA definitive departure of Phu Trong, contemporary with this meteoric rise of To Lam, would raise many questions about the future of Vietnam, which in recent years, with what has been called the “bamboo policy”, has engaged in a delicate balancing act in relations with China and the United States, with the aim of creating its own room for manoeuvre in the field of global economic relations.
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