Inevitable requirement from modern governance practice
After nearly a century under the leadership of the Party, especially through 40 years of renovation, the theoretical understanding of the socialist model of Vietnam has been increasingly supplemented and perfected, with the focus on taking people, the quality of life and the happiness of the people as the center of development. Vietnam has gradually established and steadfastly followed the socialist model through Party documents.
In the overall picture, communes and wards - the level of government closest to the people - need to become a space to directly realize the values and principles of socialism from a strategic vision to specific results in people's daily lives. Building socialist communes and wards is also an inevitable requirement from modern management practices, when the grassroots level not only performs administrative management functions but also must strongly shift to community development management, serving the people more effectively.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Cuong - Deputy Director of the Institute of Party Building (Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics) - said that the research and pilot construction of the socialist commune and ward model at the present time is completely ripe in terms of both theory, practice and implementation organization conditions.
Creating development, serving the people and strengthening social trust
Major General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Sau - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Strategy and History of National Defense - said that a modern socialist model cannot only be defined by economic growth indicators, but must be reflected through each clean road, each better-performing hospital, each more decent school, each more transparent administrative procedure and each satisfied smile of people when stepping out of public offices.
According to Major General Nguyen Van Sau, the set of criteria for building socialist communes and wards needs to focus on core values: Strong political system, good management efficiency; economic development, improving people's lives; ensuring national defense and security; preserving culture; developing education and health; promoting digital transformation; administrative reform and especially the people's trust and satisfaction level.
Experts also believe that the construction of socialist communes and wards in the new stage needs to aim to form democratic, rule-of-law, disciplined, safe, green, digital, humane and happy residential communities. In which, grassroots governments not only perform administrative management functions but must become the subject of development creation, serving the people and consolidating social trust.
The implementation process needs to be carried out methodically, with an appropriate roadmap, selecting localities representing regions for piloting, both doing and learning from experience. At the same time, it is necessary to pay special attention to building institutions, promoting digital transformation, administrative reform and improving the quality of grassroots cadres to meet development requirements in the new era.
Hanoi plans to select 2 communes with a scale of 700,000 people to pilot the socialist model
According to Mr. Vu Dai Thang - Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee, implementing the direction of General Secretary, President To Lam on researching and piloting socialist communes and wards, from the first quarter of 2026, the city has established a steering committee and working group to develop a Project to pilot the model of socialist communes and wards in the area (Project). This is to concretize and realize the good nature of the socialist regime right from the level closest to the people. In which, all policies and activities are aimed at the people, for the happiness of the people, ensuring fairness, progress and leaving no one behind. Mr. Vu Dai Thang said: "The project is in the process of seeking opinions from central agencies. We plan to select 2 adjacent communes and organize implementation. Ensuring the population scale of these 2 communes combined is about 700,000 people".
Bringing socialism from ideals to a reality model in the area
At the scientific conference "Building socialist communes and wards in the new era of development - Theoretical and practical issues" recently held, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doan Minh Huan - Member of the Politburo, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics - emphasized that building socialist communes and wards in Vietnam needs to be perceived as a strategic breakthrough to realize socialist social goals; bringing socialism from ideal to a real model in commune-level areas where people can be verified, measured, and felt in daily life. Affirming that piloting the scale of communes and wards is a practical approach, Mr. Doan Minh Huan clearly stated that this stems from the role of the grassroots level as a place to verify all guidelines and policies; the place closest to the people, where the people are both beneficiaries and verifiers of the model.
