Vietnam’s Politburo Announces Strategic Leadership Reshuffle

On August 25, Vietnam’s Politburo announced a strategic recalibration in the form of significant personnel reshuffle ahead of the 14th National Party Congress. Nguyễn Thanh Nghị, currently Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and son of former Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, has been appointed Head of the Central Committee’s Policy and Strategy Commission. He replaces Trần Lưu Quang, who now assumes the role of Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee.
 

The Central Committee’s Policy and Strategy Commission, formerly the Central Economic Commission, is a key advisory body to the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat. This high-level committee shapes national policy and plays a vital role in developing strategies for the Party and the state, which include personnel planning, political system restructuring, and guiding the implementation of Party rules.
 

Nguyễn Thanh Nghị’s appointment to this important body marks a significant advancement in his career. Born in 1976, he holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from George Washington University and began his career in academia before transitioning into public service. His political ascent began with his election as an alternate member of the Party Central Committee at the 11th National Congress in 2011, followed by a series of leadership roles: Deputy Minister of Construction (2011–2014), key posts in Kiên Giang province including Party Secretary and National Assembly delegation head (2014–2020), and Minister of Construction (2021). He also recently served a seven-month term as Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee.
 

The Politburo’s appointment of his predecessor, Trần Lưu Quang, to the position of the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, succeeding Nguyễn Văn Nên, who has been assigned as Standing Deputy Head of the Drafting Subcommittee for the 14th National Party Congress. Quang returns to Ho Chi Minh City—Vietnam’s largest metropolis, now spanning over 6,700 km² and home to 15 million residents—where he previously served as Standing Deputy Secretary of the city’s Party Committee from 2015 to 2020. His earlier tenure coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that put urban governance and crisis management to a critical test.
 

As Vietnam navigates a changing global landscape and approaches its next political cycle, these appointments underscore the Party’s aim to strengthen leadership, with the reshuffle placing trusted figures in roles vital to both national policymaking and urban governance.