Vietnam’s Rapid Shift: Speed Over Purity
Vietnam, a country renowned for its rich culture and budding economic potential, has recently shifted its strategy from maintaining a facade of purity to prioritizing speed in governance and economic growth. As the nation steps into an era marked by rapid decision-making under the new leadership of General Secretary To Lam, the crux of the conversation revolves around whether this newfound velocity can coexist with the integrity that citizens expect from their government.
The Legacy of Nguyen Phu Trong
For nearly a decade, under the leadership of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam embarked on an ambitious anti-corruption campaign popularly dubbed the “burning furnace.” While this initiative aimed to purge the government of corrupt practices, it inadvertently led to a climate of fear among officials. As hesitation to approve projects became rampant, economic growth suffered. The previous regime’s focus on accountability resulted in bureaucratic paralysis where decisions took years instead of months.
A New Era of Control with To Lam
With the ascension of To Lam, Vietnam is witnessing a transformational shift. Lam has rapidly consolidated power, realigning the bureaucracy to function with greater speed and efficiency. Under his leadership, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) plays a pivotal role—not just in law enforcement but also in governance. This shift has turned the MPS into a significant player in both political loyalty and the administrative landscape, binding various aspects of state machinery into a more cohesive structure.
The Start-Up Culture of Governance
Vietnam’s current political environment has begun to resemble that of a start-up, where rapid iterations of policies are the norm. The MPS now coordinates across Party bodies, government ministries, and even private enterprises through ownership stakes and inter-agency steering committees. This operational methodology has translated into rewarding bureaucrats for their speed of execution rather than their restraint or caution. The prevailing sentiment is encapsulated in the words of a Hanoi bureaucrat: “We’re judged by how fast we deliver, not how clean we look.”
Efficiency Over Deliberation
As Vietnam leans into this new model, consultation periods for regulatory changes have drastically reduced—from 60 days to less than two weeks. The National Assembly has demonstrated this urgency, reviewing a staggering number of laws in a short timeframe, covering vital areas like energy, trade, and digital governance. In many ways, speed has become the new virtue, sometimes at the expense of thoroughness.
One illustrative example is the recently formulated AI Law, which was drafted in such a rush that insiders joked it might have been generated by AI itself. With multiple drafts circulating in mere days, the lack of coherence highlighted the ongoing struggle between fast-paced decision-making and the necessity for clarity and quality in legislation.
The Complex Nature of Corruption
While Trong’s anti-corruption campaign sought to cleanse the system, it inadvertently transformed the nature of corruption itself. Fears among officials did not eradicate corrupt practices but evolved them into more systematic and sophisticated forms. This adjustment in mindset is reflected in the familiar quip by a Vietnamese executive: “I’d rather have a corrupt government with 10% growth than a ‘clean’ one with 6%.” Such sentiments indicate a burgeoning acceptance of graft as an inevitable component of coordination, albeit a costly one.
The Trade-Off: Stability vs. Brittleness
The leadership under To Lam has ushered in stability—evidenced by predictions of impressive GDP growth—but it has also heighted fragility. The verticality of the command chain can streamline processes but risks stifling innovation. As decisions are made more rapidly, the likelihood of compounded errors increases. Ministries find themselves racing to align with central expectations, often striving to meet shifting demands even as they draft policies.
The Road Ahead: A Race Against Time
Looking ahead, all eyes are on the upcoming Party Congress, expected to take place in late 2025 or early 2026. The current momentum in policymaking is a frantic sprint aiming to solidify strategies and personnel before potential shifts in power. This impending Congress is likely to act as a fulcrum that dictates the future of Vietnam’s political system.
The pressing question is not whether Vietnam can accelerate its pace of growth and decision-making; it clearly can. The real challenge lies in maintaining this tempo across economic, institutional, and social spectrums without jeopardizing the very foundations of governance. Balancing the allure of speed against the need for stringent oversight is the complex dance Vietnam must navigate in the coming years.