According to observers, for a long time, the relationship between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has been considered not good.
Before the 7th Plenum of the 13th Central Committee (May 2023), Trong did not hide his goal of “dethroning” the PM. He repeatedly declared to Hanoi voters, “Just wait and see, you won’t be able to escape!”
Public opinion said that Trong’s above statement was an “insinuation” referring to Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan – General Director of Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC). A character has a “special” relationship with PM Chinh.
VnExpress on February 26 reported that “Former AIC Chairman Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan’s brother had his sentence reduced.” A notable point is that this title was immediately changed by VnExpress to “Four people in the AIC bid-rigging case in Quang Ninh had their sentences reduced.” The content of the article remains unchanged.
The news said that Nguyen Anh Dung, Nhan’s biological brother, was reduced by the Court of Appeal from 36 to 20 months in prison in the bid-rigging case at Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Children’s Hospital. In this case, Dung was accused of using the name of the General Director of Phuc Hung Company to act as a “green soldier” to help his sister.
Besides, PM Chinh reappeared at the meeting of the Document Subcommittee, after more than a week of absence. This meeting took place on February 23, in Hanoi, to prepare for the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Previously, there were rumors that Chinh broke his arm due to a traffic accident during a business trip in Nghe An.
Images released by state media show that the government leader was visited by General Secretary Trong quite attentively, with an unusually intimate attitude.
In particular, Chinh’s sitting position also attracted attention. That day, Chinh sat next to Trong’s right hand on the Conference chairing table. This makes people think of the hidden meaning that Trong chose Chinh “as his right hand man”?
According to analysts, the combination of the above shows that “warmth” has returned in the relationship between General Secrerary Trong and the PM. Completely different from before, there are many drastic signs, to the point of “one loss, one survival.”
After the 7th plenum of the 13th term, public opinion was surprised to see PM Chinh overcome a series of “enemy attacks” by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
Until the 8th Plenum of the 13th Central Committee (October 2023), knowledgeable people said that the PM was always in a very worried mood.
It is known that the focus of the 8th plenum was to discuss high-level personnel for the 14th Party Congress. At the same time, the Central Committee, and then the National Assembly, conducted votes of confidence for the Politburo member, member of the Secretariat, as well as 44 positions elected and approved by the National Assembly.
The results of the vote of confidence will be decisive for “who stays and who goes” at the 14th Party Congress, which will take place in early 2026.
At this Conference, at the request of the Central Committee, General Trong had to explain issues related to senior personnel. Because Trong’s selection and arrangement of personnel was unscientific and unconscientious, leading to an unprecedented serious leadership crisis.
According to analysts, through the 8th Plenum, the reputation of the General Secretary in the Party has seriously declined. Trong was forced to officially announce that he would resign from the position of General Secretary at the end of the 13th term.
On the contrary, also at this 8th Plenum, Mr. Pham Minh Chinh’s prestige and role increased in the Party. The Central Committee let Mr. Chinh run the discussion session on planning the 14th Central Committee. That is something that has long been under the absolute “monopoly” of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, from the 12th National Congress to date.
In the current context, there are many signs that Minister of Public Security To Lam has been intervening in the Party apparatus – which is inherently the monopoly of General Secretary Trong. Along with Mr. To Lam’s close association with the Beijing leadership recently, Trong has been forced to change his perspective on the selection of his successor.
PM Chinh is a trusted servant of former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung- Trong’s opponent. Meanwhile, To Lam is still very “gracious” to a Lieutenant General, former Deputy Minister of Public Security, a close disciple of Ba Dung.
Will the calculations just mentioned help Trong be more secure in retirement?
We’ll wait and see./.
Tra My – Thoibao.de
