Core values ​​from the grassroots level

The pilot project to build a model of "socialist communes and wards" is a step towards further concretizing the goal of building socialism in Vietnam from the grassroots level.

The pilot project to build a model of "socialist communes and wards" is a step towards further concretizing the goal of building socialism in Vietnam from the grassroots level. (Pictured: Scientific conference on the topic: "Building socialist communes and wards in the new development era - Theoretical and practical issues")

This is the process of transforming the values, characteristics, and goals of socialism into measurable, assessable, and verifiable criteria for development, governance, and service to the people.

At a meeting with the Standing Committee of the Hanoi City Party Committee on March 30, 2026, General Secretary To Lam suggested a policy to research and pilot the construction of a socialist commune or ward. In this spirit, a socialist commune or ward is not a new administrative level, nor is it a change to the current political model or economic system, but rather a model of local governance aimed at realizing the core values ​​of the socialist regime from the grassroots level. Although the policy is still under research and implementation, and some localities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Lao Cai are developing pilot projects, hostile forces have taken advantage of this to spread much misinformation. The current distorted narratives mainly focus on the following five points:

Firstly, the policy of building socialist communes and wards is dismissed as idealistic and lacking practical basis; it deliberately separates the policy from the overall process of national reform and development. Over 40 years of reform have shown that most of Vietnam's institutional and policy breakthroughs have been formed through pilot programs, practical experience summaries, refinements, and replication. From the Contract 100 (1981) and Contract 10 (1988) in agriculture to administrative reform, state-owned enterprise reform, e-government development, and national digital transformation, all operate according to this logic. No sustainable reform is formed from subjective will, and no success is separate from practical experience.

In particular, the policy of building socialist communes and wards is the next step in development, building upon achievements and experiences already proven in practice, such as the model of building new rural areas, advanced new rural areas, model new rural areas, civilized urban wards, and modern grassroots governance models. The pilot program aims to elevate and synchronize the goals of economic, cultural, social, national defense, security, digital transformation, and local governance according to socialist orientation. Furthermore, this policy stems from the need to further concretize the theoretical understanding of socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam.

Secondly, the distortion of the construction of socialist communes and wards as a return to the subsidized economy is a deliberate tactic of conceptual manipulation, intentionally equating the concept of "socialism" with the previous bureaucratic, centrally planned, subsidized economic system in order to create a false perception in society.

The reform process has clearly affirmed Vietnam's development of a socialist-oriented market economy, a strategic and consistent long-term choice. In this context, the construction of socialist communes and wards does not aim to change the current economic model, but rather to improve the quality of local governance, the efficiency of serving the people, and the capacity for organizing and implementing policies at the grassroots level. Therefore, any accusation of a "return to the subsidized economy" lacks scientific and practical basis.

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Thirdly, equating the socialist commune/ward model with restrictions on democracy and human rights is a familiar argument used by hostile, reactionary, and politically opportunistic forces to create a false opposition between state administration and democracy, and between law and human rights.

The Party and State of Vietnam have consistently maintained the view of promoting socialist democracy, ensuring human rights and citizens' rights, while strengthening the rule of law and building a socialist rule of law state. Democratic mechanisms at the grassroots level, administrative reform, transparency in public service activities, digital transformation, and online public service provision all aim to expand the genuine ownership rights of the people. The socialist commune/ward model aims to build a grassroots government that is open, transparent, effective, and efficient; with the people at the center of service; creating conditions for the people to participate in management, supervision, and enjoy the fruits of development.

Fourth, exploiting initial difficulties and obstacles to conclude failure and negate the policy is unacceptable. It's crucial to recognize that all innovations must undergo practical implementation to identify limitations and shortcomings, allowing for further refinement of mechanisms and policies. Choosing pilot programs before scaling up is a scientific approach to proactively assess the model's suitability, identify emerging problems, and make timely adjustments. Therefore, using initial difficulties to negate the entire policy is a one-sided, biased approach driven by subversive motives.

Fifthly, the assertion that the construction of socialist communes and wards is merely a movement, a formality, or a pursuit of achievements is a denial of the efforts to innovate national governance and improve the quality of service to the people in recent years. Along with the process of reform and international integration, governance thinking in Vietnam is increasingly shifting from management by administrative orders to governance based on practical results and efficiency.

The value of the socialist commune/ward model lies not in its name or slogan, but is assessed through the quality of local governance, the level of citizen satisfaction, the effectiveness of social security, the quality of the living environment, the capacity for digital transformation, and the potential for sustainable development.

The value of the socialist commune/ward model lies not in its name or slogan, but in the quality of local governance, the level of citizen satisfaction, the effectiveness of social security, the quality of the living environment, the capacity for digital transformation, and the potential for sustainable development. Therefore, labeling the model as a "movement," a "formality," or "a pursuit of achievements" is essentially denying the modern governance trend that uses effective service to the people as a measure of success.

The distorted arguments regarding the pilot program for building socialist communes and wards ultimately aim to deny the Party's ideological foundation, deny the path to socialism; distort the essence of the issue, deny the country's development achievements, and incite skepticism in society. Therefore, it is necessary to proactively identify and refute these erroneous and hostile viewpoints with scientific, theoretical, and objective practical arguments.

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At the same time, it is necessary to focus on effectively implementing the policy, building a clear system of criteria, ensuring openness and transparency in the implementation process, and creating substantive changes in local governance as well as the lives of the people. The practical development and tangible benefits brought to the people will be the most objective measure to affirm the value and vitality of the policy, refuting all distorted and subversive arguments.

Associate Professor, Doctor Cao Van Trong

Source: https://nhandan.vn/gia-tri-cot-loi-tu-cap-co-so-post969369.html