3 breakthroughs of the 14th Party Congress

The 14th National Congress of the Party has just concluded successfully. My personal feeling is that the congress created quite a few breakthroughs compared to some previous congresses.

Even the preparation of the congress documents was a breakthrough, breaking away from familiar patterns. The shortening of the congress duration also clearly demonstrates a profound and groundbreaking shift in the organization and management of the congress. Then there's the action plan for implementing the congress resolutions…

But I personally have a deep feeling about three other breakthroughs – three timely, accurate breakthroughs that clearly demonstrate the Party's courage and wisdom, which will ensure the country's bright development in the new era.

After the 14th Central Committee was introduced, General Secretary To Lam, on behalf of the Central Committee, delivered a speech to the congress. Photo: Pham Hai

Party congresses in our country are always major political events for the development of the nation, and also events associated with the expectations and hopes of the people and society. Some may say this sounds cliché, but surely others would agree that it is indeed true.

There is anticipation and hope surrounding the Party Congress because, in a single-party political system like Vietnam's, the Party's destiny and cause are closely intertwined with the destiny and development of the country. The people's and society's expectations and hopes are placed on important decisions regarding socio -economic development policies and key personnel within the political system. Correct decisions and the right personnel will be the guarantee and foundation for proper development and bring positive results for the country and its people.

Consider these simple things about people working in and outside the public sector: they are all hoping for a slightly higher salary this year and next year. Increased income will lead to a better life. Most elderly people hope for more care and attention from society and the state. And low-income earners are anxiously hoping to secure a social housing unit in the next lottery. And countless others are hoping to minimize hospital expenses… These simple things, and countless others, ultimately connect with the policy decisions of the Party Congress.

Time will tell whether the 14th Party Congress was a success, and this is similar to what happened after the 1986 Party Congress, which was considered a significant breakthrough in the Party's guidelines and policies, but it took three years for the first successes to appear. In 1989, Vietnam successfully exported rice for the first time, marking a historical turning point in escaping famine thanks to the reform policies set out by the 6th Party Congress, especially the 1988 contract system.

The imprint of strategic thinking and vision.

The basis of the belief and the results of the "scale of expectation and hope" for the 14th Party Congress were actually established from the end of 2024 and especially in 2025. Without groundbreaking changes and turning points in the Party's guidelines and policies during these two years, the resolutions recently adopted by the 14th Party Congress would not have been possible.

General Secretary To Lam. Photo: Pham Hai

It can be said that the shift in the Party's strategic thinking and vision has been clearly demonstrated in five resolutions: Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024, on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation; Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2025, on international integration in the new situation; Resolution No. NQ-66/NQ/TW dated April 30, 2025, on reforming the work of lawmaking and enforcement to meet the requirements of national development in the new era; Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW dated May 4, 2025, on the development of the private economy; and Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2025, on breakthroughs in education and training development. Finally, there is Resolution No. 79-NQ/TW dated January 6, 2026, on the development of the state-owned economy.

The issuance and initial implementation of these resolutions laid a solid foundation for groundbreaking changes in the Party's policy-making, of which the documents of the 14th Party Congress are the culmination. Without the courage and fortitude to confront the truth, without breakthroughs in policy-making thinking, it would be impossible to consider the private sector as the most important driving force of the economy, and impossible to make decisions on establishing new growth models: knowledge-based economy, digital economy, green economy, circular economy…

If the identification of two 100-year strategic goals, fundamental policies on private and state-owned economic development, science and technology, digital transformation, and the development of culture, education, and healthcare... were the first breakthroughs reflecting the strategic thinking and vision created by the 14th Party Congress, then the second breakthrough... It is about the organization and operation of the entire political system.

The new stage of development demands corresponding changes in the political system. Over the past few decades, there have been numerous Central Committee resolutions on restructuring and reforming the political system, but implementation has not yielded significant results. The Party, mass organization, and State apparatus remains cumbersome and ineffective. Many issues are clear but are being addressed with hesitation and avoidance. The timely and bold decision to streamline the organizational structure in 2025 has created profound and significant changes to the entire political system, laying the groundwork for important decisions on the organization and operation of the political system in the documents of the 14th Party Congress.

Policies for the people

Third breakthrough What the 14th Congress created was social policy, especially social security policy.

If we say that the Party's destiny and cause are closely linked to the destiny of the country and its people, then what benefits do the people receive when the economy grows?

The Party leader clearly stated this in a simple and understandable way: the people are the foundation, the highest measure of all decisions and all policies of the Party must be aimed at improving the material and spiritual lives of the people.

Respecting the people, serving the people, and working for the people's benefit has always been the guiding principle in the Party's policies, but it was not until the 14th National Congress that this principle truly saw a breakthrough. This profound transformation was also initiated through a series of people-centered social policies in 2024 and was again crystallized in the documents of the 14th National Congress.

Notably, this includes policies such as tuition fee exemption for students from preschool to high school in public schools; policies and goals for building social housing; the plan to build nearly 250 multi-level boarding schools in border communes; the expansion of social retirement benefits; and the continued increase in health insurance support for policy beneficiaries, those in poor and near-poor households, people with disabilities, and vulnerable groups, moving towards universal health insurance.

And especially, nothing is more moving and convincing about the Party's people-centered policy than the image of the head of government directly inspecting and supervising the rapid implementation of the Quang Trung campaign, or the image of soldiers and police officers with shovels, hoes, and trowels in hand, doing everything without hesitation to rebuild and repair houses for households whose homes were damaged by natural disasters, storms, and floods in 2025 in Central Vietnam.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/3-dot-pha-cua-dai-hoi-14-2484632.html