Politics Ledger · Asia-Pacific
Vietnam
Closed autocracyOne-party stateUnitaryState ideology: Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought.
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In charge
Tô Lâm
General Secretary and State President
Time in power
0.6 yrs
since 2026
Government seats
100%
majority
Next national vote
2031-03
National Assembly
Governance score
19/100
composite of five indices
Vietnam won independence through wars against France and the United States, reunified under communist rule, and since the 1986 Đổi Mới reforms has become a fast-growing market economy under a Leninist party.
Leadership
Who Governs Vietnam
Head of state
Holds executive powerTô Lâm
General Secretary and State President · Communist Party of Vietnam
Since 7 April 2026 · 0.6 years
Age 69 (born 1957)ManRoute to power: chosen by party
Head of government
Lê Minh Hưng
Prime Minister · Communist Party of Vietnam
Since 7 April 2026 · 0.6 years
Age 56 (born 1970)ManRoute to power: appointed
Ruling coalition
Communist Party of Vietnam
Main opposition
None permitted
Last national election
15 March 2026
National Assembly
Party-approved candidates won nearly all seats; Tô Lâm combined the party and state top posts after the 14th Party Congress.
Next national election
By March 2031
National Assembly
Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân. Tô Lâm has driven a sweeping merger of ministries and provinces.
Recent changes (last 12 months)
Parliament
National Assembly (unicameral)
Seat distribution (Elected 15 March 2026 (approximate)), ordered from economic left to right.
| Party | Ideology | Seats | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) | Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought | 485 | governing |
| Non-party deputies (NP) | Fatherland Front-approved | 15 | coalition |
Ideology
Party Landscape
Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.
Institutions
The System
- Official name
- Socialist Republic of Vietnam
- Capital
- Hanoi
- Population
- 101 million
- Statehood
- Independence declared 1945; reunified 1976; Constitution 2013 (amended 2025)
- System
- One-party state
- Structure
- Unitary
- Current constitution
- 2013
- Legislature
- National Assembly
- Lower / sole chamber
- National Assembly (unicameral) (500 seats)
- Electoral system
- Party-vetted multi-member elections organised by the Fatherland Front.
- Term limits
- Two five-year terms for top posts by party rules (exceptions permitted).
Sources
- National Assembly of Vietnam
- VnExpress, Apr 2026
- EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)
Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.
Data as of 2026-10-29.