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The familiar broadcast, “This is the Voice of Việt Nam, broadcasting from Hà Nội, capital of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam/Democratic Republic of Việt Nam […]” has echoed through loudspeakers and radios for decades . [1] It is a line woven into the collective memory of millions, cementing the Voice of Việt Nam (VOV) as the definitive national broadcaster . [2]

Yet, as of April 1, 2026, the essence of VOV has shifted. While the name remains, it is no longer truly the “Voice of Việt Nam,” but the “Voice of the Communist Party of Việt Nam.” [3] This follows the transfer of VOV from a government body to a public non-business unit under the Central Committee of the Communist Party.

This unprecedented reorganization extends to other pillars of the national media and scientific infrastructure. Joining VOV in this transfer are Việt Nam Television (VTV), the Việt Nam News Agency (TTXVN), the Việt Nam Academy of Social Sciences, and the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology. [4]

This sudden development raises a critical question: What is the legal foundation for such a significant institutional transfer?

The Legal Precedent for Previous Reorganizations

The comprehensive streamlining of the state apparatus that began in early 2025 followed the principle of “ moving forward while lining up. ” [5] This restructuring affected the party, the National Assembly, and the government, yet each system operated within its own jurisdictional boundaries.

The Party utilized Central Committee resolutions, while the National Assembly and the Government relied on the Law on the Organization of the National Assembly and the Law on the Organization of the Government , respectively.

Even when functions shifted between sectors, they remained within the established government framework. For instance, the police sector absorbed several responsibilities: drug rehabilitation management from the Ministry of Labor,Invalids, and Social Affairs; judicial records from the Ministry of Justice; and cybersecurity from the Ministry of Information and Communications. [8] The transfer of the MobiFone Telecommunications Corporation followed a similar path.

Despite the urgency of these changes, each step was anchored in a specific legal framework.

A Cross-System Transfer Without Legal Precedent

The recent transfer of VTV, VOV, TTXVN, and the two national academies from the Government to the Central Committee represents an unprecedented cross-system movement. These five entities, formerly bodies under the Government [9], have been moved into a political organization, leaving the Government with only 14 ministries and three ministerial-level agencies. [10]

Current laws—from the Law on the Organization of the Government to the Law on the Press and the Law on Science, Technology, and Innovation — do not contemplate a scenario where a state agency is moved under a political party. [11] [12] While Article 10 of the Law on the Organization of the Government allows the Government to abolish its own agencies [13], it provides no mechanism for their transfer to a non-state entity.

The process relied on two independent, parallel tracks. On March 30, the Politburo issued decisions —under direction from the Central Committee—establishing the functions and leadership for the five agencies. [14] [15]

The following day, the Government abolished the decrees that had previously governed them. [16] Although the Government has the authority to abolish what it creates, this repeal was not linked to any document governing the legal transfer of assets or personnel.

On April 1, when the Politburo publicly announced its decisions [17], the disconnect became clear: the Government’s resolutions mentioned only “abolition,” while the Politburo’s documents mentioned only “establishment.” Neither cited a state legal document as a bridge.

The sole common authority for this shift is Resolution No. 03 of the 14th Central Committee, issued on March 25. Technically, these institutions disappeared from the state apparatus through administrative means and reappeared in the Party structure through political ones. This shift relies entirely on Article 4 of the 2013 Constitution, which identifies the Communist Party of Việt Nam as the “leading force of the State and society.” [18]

However, Article 4 provides a political basis for leadership, not a procedural manual for state reorganization. A distinction exists between political leadership power and legal administrative power. The latter governs public assets and state organization and must be exercised through transparent procedures under National Assembly supervision.

By stretching a broad constitutional principle to justify an action unsupported by specific law, the Constitution is transformed from a constraint on power into a shield for actions that exceed the formal legal authority of the Communist Party.

Trường An wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on April 3, 2026. Đàm Vĩnh Hằng translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.

References: +

From State to Party: The Unprecedented and Illegal Transfer of VTV, VOV, and TTXVN in Việt Nam

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