Pull to refresh
Logo
Daily Brief
Following Why Sign Up
Tô Lâm

Tô Lâm

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam

Appears in 2 stories

Born: July 10, 1957 (age 68 years), Nghĩa Trụ, Vietnam
Previous offices: President of Vietnam (2024–2024), Minister of Public Security of Vietnam (2016–2024), and Deputy Minister of Public Security of Vietnam (2010–2016)
Spouse: Ngô Phương Ly
Party: Communist Party of Vietnam
Office: Secretary of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam

Notable Quotes

"Xi Jinping is a sincere comrade and a close friend of Vietnam." — To Lam, during a 2025 state visit to Beijing

"We must fundamentally reform our development thinking, governance methods, and resource allocation." — Opening of 14th Party Congress, January 2026

"The 14th National Congress marks the start of a 'new era.'" — Congress address, January 2026

Stories

Vietnam elects new National Assembly as To Lam consolidates party and state power

Rule Changes

Unanimously reelected as General Secretary at 14th Party Congress, January 2026

Vietnam's Communist Party has governed through collective leadership since reunification in 1976, splitting power among four pillars: the party general secretary, the state president, the prime minister, and the National Assembly chairman. That structure is now shifting. On March 15, 2026, nearly 73.5 million voters went to the polls to elect 500 members of the 16th National Assembly from a slate of 864 candidates, 93 percent of whom belong to the ruling Communist Party. When the new legislature convenes in April, it will formally appoint a leadership lineup already chosen at January's Party Congress—one that places To Lam, the former security chief, atop both the party and the state.

Updated Apr 23

Vietnam's power consolidation

Rule Changes

Re-elected General Secretary for full 5-year term (2026-2031); expected to assume presidency at National Assembly session in April 2026

Vietnam's 14th Party Congress concluded January 23, 2026, unanimously re-electing Tô Lâm as General Secretary with all 180 Central Committee votes. The anticipated merger of party chief and state presidency—which would make Lâm Vietnam's most powerful leader since Hồ Chí Minh—was not finalized at the Congress. Instead, that decision now awaits the National Assembly's first session in April 2026, following legislative elections on March 15. The 19-member Politburo's composition "strongly suggests" Lâm will assume the presidency, but the delay preserves procedural legitimacy while maintaining suspense about whether Vietnam will abandon its four-pillar collective leadership model.

Updated Feb 5