Việt Nam’s Politburo: How 19 People Rule 100 Million

The Politburo is the single institution through which nearly all of Việt Nam’s major changes must pass. This group of fewer than two dozen people converges on key lines of power, whether it is deciding who rises and falls, adjusting economic policy, or handling crises. Understanding how this “supreme yet low-profile” body functions is the only way to truly grasp how Vietnamese politics operates.

What is the Politburo?

According to the Party Charter, the Politburo is the highest leadership body of the Party, elected by the Central Committee at each Party Congress. [1] Acting as the top-level “executive board,” it decides the strategic direction, personnel arrangements, and major policy choices that the country will pursue for years to come.

To visualize its role, imagine the political system of Việt Nam as a multi-story building. The lower floors house ministries and local governments, while the National Assembly and the government sit above them. However, the top floor—the control room—belongs to the Communist Party, with the Politburo seated at the center.

This body typically consists of 17 to 19 members, comprising the General Secretary, the Prime Minister, the President, the Chair of the National Assembly, and heads of key strategic bodies. The 14th Politburo, elected at the recent 14th Party Congress, illustrates this concentration of power perfectly: its 19 members include the top leaders of the Party, the state, and the country’s core forces. [2]

The Politburo as the Product of an Internal Bargain

Many assume that the Politburo simply issues decisions, but its true function is far more complex: it represents a careful balance among different power groups within the Party. Because each member is linked to specific political, regional, or organizational networks, the final list of elected members reveals exactly which groups hold the greatest influence at the time of a Congress.

This structure mirrors what scholar Andrew J. Nathan observed in his research on one-party systems in China. He noted that power in such systems is not concentrated in a single individual who can “settle everything with one word.” Instead, rules and balances among groups within the Party sustain it, preventing dependence on any individual. [3]

The Vietnamese Politburo operates on this exact principle. Its composition is the product of an internal negotiation process where power groups reach a shared agreement. This consensus is crucial for stabilizing the political system and preventing open conflict at the highest levels.

Whoever Controls Personnel Controls Power

In a one-party system, power originates from the authority to choose the players, unlike in democracies where power originates from the ballot box. Anyone who controls who gets appointed controls the entire apparatus.

This is the area where the influence of the Politburo is most profound. It holds the keys to nearly every strategic position in the country, introducing, promoting, or reassigning officials ranging from ministers and provincial party secretaries to the top brass of the police and military.

These roles are essential in determining how the system operates. By deciding who occupies these nodes, the Politburo effectively dictates the function of the state itself. Every major shift in leadership, whether it is a ministerial dismissal or a provincial rotation, carries the silent but decisive imprint of this body.

The First Gateway for All Major Reforms

To the public eye, the National Assembly, the government, and various ministries appear to be the drivers of new policy. Upon closer inspection, the true origin of most major changes lies elsewhere: in the resolutions and conclusions issued by the Politburo.

The Politburo is the “first gateway” for all major changes, whether they are about foreign policy, economic models, anti-corruption strategies, or cadre planning. This centralized initiation is a reflection of the oft-repeated maxim, “The party leads, the state manages.”

Hence, understanding the “why” behind any policy change requires looking beyond the administrative bodies of the state and focusing on the strategic decisions made by the Politburo.

Governance Behind Closed Doors

Given the Politburo’s importance, the lack of press conferences, public debates, or open voting may seem strange. However, this opacity is deliberately designed and shared by one-party systems from Cuba to China.

This mirrors the operational protocol of Central Committee meetings, where—as previously analyzed—critical activities like debates, voting, and personnel selection are conducted strictly behind closed doors. [4] The Politburo adheres to this same principle, but with even broader and more permanent authority.

As a result, the public is only privy to the final results: the appointments, the disciplinary actions, and the resolutions. The debates themselves remain hidden. This underscores the system’s core priority: valuing stability and internal consensus over transparency. For a one-party system, maintaining unity among the elite is considered just as vital as retaining the support of the public.

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The public may not cast ballots for the Politburo, but they certainly feel its presence. 

From fluctuations in electricity prices and adjustments to development policy to the tightening of the administrative apparatus and the appointment of local Party Secretaries, every major shift in daily life creates waves that ripple down from this “summit” of power.

Analyzing the Politburo requires more than just tracking who rises and who falls. It requires grasping the fundamental organization of a system that eschews competitive elections. Only then can one understand how the regime has maintained political stability over decades of rule.

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Thúc Kháng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Feb. 09, 2026. Đàm Vĩnh Hằng translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.