Võ Văn Thưởng (Vietnamese pronunciation: [vɔ˦ˀ˥ van˧˧ tʰɨəŋ˧˩]; born 13 December 1970) is a Vietnamese politician who served as the 12th President of Vietnam from March 2023 to March 2024, being the youngest person to serve in this position since the country's reunification at the age of 52. His resignation after just over one year in office amidst the Communist Party's anti-corruption campaign made him the shortest-serving president in Vietnamese history.
As the country's head of state, Thưởng was the second highest official in Vietnam after Nguyễn Phú Trọng, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He is also regarded as a close ally of Trọng.
He is a former member of the Politburo and served as the Permanent Member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat from 2021 to 2023, being the youngest person to serve in this position. Thưởng was also the Head of Central Propaganda Department from 2016 to 2021.
Prior to entering the Politburo, he had served as Standing Deputy Party Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City; Party Secretary of Quang Ngai Province; Standing Secretary and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, and Chairman of the Vietnam Youth Federation.
Thưởng is a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam, holding a master's degree in philosophy and an advanced diploma in political theory. He was a member of the 12th, 14th and 15th National Assembly of Vietnam, and a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 2011 until his resignation in 2024.
Võ Văn Thưởng first joined the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2016 after the 12th National Congress, at that time he had just turned 45 years old, becoming the youngest member of the Politburo at that time. He held the position of Head of the Central Propaganda Department from 2016 to 2021. He continued to be re-elected for the 13th term of the Politburo and became Permanent Member of the Secretariat from 2021 to 2023. He is considered a talented young officer with the potential to succeed the position of General Secretary of Nguyễn Phú Trọng.
Võ Văn Thưởng became the 12th President of Vietnam on 2 March 2023 after a month and a half, former President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc resigned due to political responsibility due to Phúc's subordinates being caught up in a series of corruption scandals. Thưởng left many diplomatic marks during his term, such as upgrading comprehensive strategic partnerships with countries such as: United States (during the visit to President Joe Biden to Vietnam), Japan (during Thưởng's visit to Japan), Australia (during the visit of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính to Australia) or upgraded diplomatic relations with the Vatican during his historic visit to meet Pope Francis. On 21 March 2024, he resigned after a series of his former subordinates in Quang Ngai province were arrested in a major corruption case at Phúc Sơn Group was exposed after 12 years.
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