Although populism in the world has become a typical trend and affected political and social life in many countries today, it is only expressed through some people’s voices and actions in Viet Nam. Nevertheless, these manifestations have been making a bad impact and producing negative consequences if we fail to identify and prevent them timely.
The populist idea dates back to early human history but it evolved into a doctrine in the 19th century, displaying support for the peasants’ struggle against the bourgeoisie during the bourgeois revolution. Today, rising populism at a global scale has an enormous influence on political and social life of many countries and regions around the world. The connotation of this concept has been further broadened and exceeded ideas in the name of the peasantry. More importantly, many populist leaders come to power, which brings about changes and makes this issue more complex.
Currently, there are not economic, political, social bases for the survival of populism under the rubric of a doctrine in Viet Nam. However, given complex developments in international political life, manifestations of populism emerge and tend to proliferate. Clearly, in essence, populism are demagogic words and deeds which are used to incite people. Populists seeks to use some groups of the so called “people” as a basis for their legitimacy and for their political, economic goals. This has an adverse influence on national development and interests. Despite the same nature and shades, populism is expressed differently in different period. Therefore, it is necessary to recognise manifestations of populism in Viet Nam today as follows:
1. Manifestations of “imitating the masses” of some cadres, party members, individuals, and interest groups. Those who have these manifestations usually indulge opinions and desires of certain groups of people. They act in the name of people, please the masses, make every effort to influence and get votes for themselves through unhealthy manner, and ignore principles, guidelines, and policies of the Party and State to pursue their own interests. They often view goals and ideals as decoration for their promotion and avenues to success; regard guidelines, policies, and law, especially legal loopholes, as conditions to seek profit. Although these manifestations are at a low level, they prove a deterioration in belief and ideals, lack of confidence in Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, the Party’s leadership, and the State’s management, making a negative impact on the realisation of the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies.
2. Taking advantage of people’s unprompted sentiments, immediate demands, and daily interests to pursue private interests. They often exploit pressing, sensitive issues of society, localities, and the country to please immediate demands of part of people; incite people’s reaction for their own benefits; misuse rights to freedom and democracy to make irrational, demagogic claims which go against the State’s policies and law. Those who have these manifestations have been truly degraded in politics and ideology and gradually kept aloof from principles and goals of socialism. Although their confidence in the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies is seriously undermined, they have not wished regime change because they are still able to make profit from this regime.
3. Raising the banners of “For the people” and “Patriotism” to induce part of unsteadfast cadres, party members, and people to follow extreme nationalism and do damage to guidelines and policies of the Party and State as well as the peaceful, stable environment of the country. Those who have these manifestations have clearly shown their deterioration in politics and renounced Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, and the Party’s leadership. Although they hardly expose their viewpoints directly, the banners of “For the people” and “Patriotism” are always expressed in one way or another to induce and incite people to serve their dark intentions, laying the foundation for disseminating false viewpoints on Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, guidelines and policies of the Party and State.
4. Manifestations of people with incorrect or even hostile viewpoints. They exploit and incite people to engage in anti-regime, anti-government activities under the banners of “For the people,” “Protection of national independence and sovereignty,” “For national development and interests,” and so on. As for these people, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” have reached qualitative change. They have degenerated in political terms; publicly opposed the revolution, the Party, and the State by means of not only incorrect ideologies and political stances but also practical activities. They have betrayed the country and people but pretend to act in the name of “For the people” and “For national interests.” Often, they are spiritually and materially assisted by hostile forces and reactionaries.
The above-mentioned manifestations have not fully reflected complexity of the situation. However, these are main expressions of today’s populism. They can result in many negative consequences such as ambiguity, misconception, confusion between cadres truly serving the people and the country and those skillfully camouflaging themselves with the cover of “for the people”. They are likely to lead to fluctuation of ideology, skepticism; undermine cadres’, party members’, and people’s confidence in the Party and the regime; have a negative influence on social consensus and all-people great unity. This presents many difficulties for the building of the Party and political system as well as realisation of guidelines and policies of the Party and State.
The struggle to prevent manifestations of populism from developing into a “harmful virus” capable of polluting political life of the country and prevent people with manifestations of populism from completely moving to the other side and doing damage to the Party, State, Homeland, and people is a matter of principle and a vital methodology. To do so requires adopting many comprehensive measures, most notably the following:
First, stepping up education and propagation to raise awareness of cadres, party members, and people, especially young generation, about manifestations of populism in our country currently; its harmfulness and negative influence on the spiritual life of the society, ideological foundation, all-people great national unity, the Party’s leadership, and the State’s management. Party committees at all levels need to further grasp and strictly and effectively carry out resolutions and directives on safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation and Party building, most notably the Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW, dated 22 October 2018, of the Politburo (12th tenure) on promoting protection of the Party’s ideological foundation and struggling against false, hostile viewpoints in the new situation in association with effectively implementing the Directive No. 23-CT/TW, dated 9 February 2018, of the Party Central Committee Secretariat (12th tenure) on “Further reforming and enhancing quality of studying, applying, and developing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought in the new situation.” This will instil Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, and advanced, positive ideologies into the entire social life, which serves to rectify deviations, renovate backward ideologies, push back wrongdoings, create political steadfastness and sensitivity, and increase resistance and ability to prevent the spread and influence of manifestations of populism.
Second, strengthening leadership and instruction of party committees and orgranisations at all levels on the struggle to prevent manifestations of populism. Accordingly, it is necessary to exercise a unitary leadership from the Central Party Committee to party cells in the struggle to prevent manifestations of populism in connection with leadership and direction on preventing and combating corruption, deterioration, “self-evolution,” and “self-transformation” within the Party according to spirit of the 13th Party Congress. Party committees and organisations at all levels should pay more attention to the struggle against manifestations of populism; address every sign of underestimation of this matter; supplement and improve policies to enhance effectiveness of the struggle. Moreover, there need to work out mechanisms and sanctions sufficiently strong to prevent and eradicate the seeds of deterioration, corruption, and wrongdoings; early detect manifestations of populism; heighten cadres’ responsibility to set an example, especially the key ones. Leading cadres at all levels must be true paragons, who match words with deeds, have a strong sense of responsibility, put the national interests first. They are requested to deepen ties between the Party and people; bring into play the role of people and truly rely on the people to build the Party; deal with all manifestations of boilerplate, individualism, “demagogy,” “failing to match words with deeds,” and “acting one way and talking another.”
Third, proactively struggling to prevent signs of populism, aligning the struggle to push back degradation in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle, expressions of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Party with preventing and responding to “peaceful evolution” and rejecting false, hostile viewpoints. This is both a guiding perspective, a fundamental requirement, and a vital measure to prevent signs of populism in our country today. Accordingly, party committees need to grasp and successfully realise the Party’s standpoint of “Strengthening protection the Party’s ideological foundation; resolutely and regularly struggling and rejecting incorrect, hostile viewpoints; proactively disseminating timely, accurate, objective information to prevent and respond to “peaceful evolution” and harmful information on the internet and social media”. They are also requested to resolutely prevent and push back degradation in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle; signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Party. Fierce criticism of populists’ demagogy must be carried out in association with clarifying the Party’s viewpoints of taking people as the roots, all for people’s life and happiness. The mottos of “taking the beauty to combat the evil” and “take positive information to repel negative information” must be successfully realised to criticise manifestations of populism and reject incorrect, hostile viewpoints.
Fourth, making party organisations pure and robust; the corps of cadres and party members comprehensively strong to lay the foundation for preventing and eradicating manifestations of populism from grassroots level. Party committees at all levels need to firmly grasp cadres’ and party members’ ideologies and feelings; closely combine ideological management with discipline enforcement, education and persuasion with administrative measures. They are also to do the work of internal political protection, self-criticism, and criticism within party organisations successfully; strictly observe regulations on expression; resolutely prevent and combat all signs of factionalism, “interest group,” exploiting mass media and social media to distort truth, disseminate populist ideas, and sow division. It is necessary to deepen the close ties between the Party and people; tap into people’s role in building a pure, strong Party and political system; cultivate a corps of cadres and party members who are steadfast and absolutely faithful to the Party’s revolutionary goals and ideals; practise diligence, thrift, integrity, uprightness, public-mindedness, selflessness; maintain close contacts with the people, believe in the people, love the people, and wholeheartedly serve the Fatherland and people.
Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Manh Huong and Doctor Bui Thi Hoan