The 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s first Constitution

Profound lessons on the People’s right to exercise power

Marking the 80th anniversary of the National Assembly’s adoption of Vietnam’s first Constitution (November 6, 1946 – November 6, 2026), Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Do Duc Hong Ha said that behind the steadfast constitution-making efforts of previous generations lie profound lessons about the people’s genuine right to exercise power, as well as the “imperatives for action” set out by General Secretary of the Party Central Committee and State President To Lam for the country’s new stage of development.

Politics-Diplomacy

Message from the 1946 Constitution: Building a state capable of action and accountable to the People

Eighty years on, the enduring message of the 1946 Constitution is not merely that state power belongs to the People, but also that such power must be organised, controlled and exercised for the benefit of human beings. The constitutionalist principles embodied in the 1946 Constitution continue to offer valuable guidance for institutional reform today: building a State capable of effective action while operating within the framework of the Constitution and the law, subject to public oversight and accountable to the People.
Top leader's address marking 80 years of Vietnam’s first Constitution

Editorial Note: On the morning of November 6, the National Assembly solemnly held a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the adoption of Vietnam’s first Constitution (November 9, 1946 – November 9, 2026). The People’s Deputies Newspaper respectfully presents the full text of the address delivered by General Secretary and State President To Lam at the ceremony.

The 1946 Constitution and the National Assembly’s mission today
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man's speech marking 80 years of Vietnam's first Constitution
From the spirit of the 1946 Constitution to a state that shapes the future
Top leader calls for strict enforcement of Constitution, preparation for comprehensive amendments

1946 Constitution remains cornerstone of Vietnam’s legal system: NA deputies
Nov 05, 2026 21:24

Looking back on the 80-year journey since the country’s first Constitution was adopted, deputy Trinh Ngoc Phuong from Tay Ninh province said the 1946 Constitution has served as a thread connecting different periods of the country’s constitutional development. Although constitutional provisions had evolved to meet practical requirements, its core value of serving the people remained unchanged.
From the First Constitution to the aspiration of building a Government of the People, by the People and for the People
Nov 05, 2026 13:55

Eighty years ago, the first Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam affirmed a foundational principle: all state power belongs to the entire People. From safeguarding the people's right to mastery and equality to designing the structure of government, the 1946 Constitution was imbued with democratic and humanistic values, placing the interests of the People at its centre.
80 Years of the First Constitution – The Foundation of a State of the People
Nov 05, 2026 13:55

On November 9, 1946, the First National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam adopted the country’s first Constitution. Eighty years later, the core values enshrined in that historic document – national unity, the guarantee of democratic freedoms, and the establishment of a strong and enlightened government of the people – remain a benchmark against which we must measure ourselves today.
80 Years of the 1946 Constitution: National development must be sustainable and rooted in independence, sovereignty, freedom, justice and the happiness of the people
Nov 05, 2026 13:54

The 80th anniversary of the adoption of the 1946 Constitution provides an opportunity to reaffirm an enduring principle: the strength of the State derives from the People; the exercise of state power must be safeguarded by the Constitution and the law; and the sustainable development of the nation must be closely linked to independence, sovereignty, freedom, justice and the happiness of the People.
From the 1946 Constitution to a Culture of Respect for the Rule of Law: The Spiritual Foundation for the Aspiration to National Development in a New Era
Nov 05, 2026 13:52

As the country prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of the National Assembly’s adoption of Vietnam’s first Constitution (November 9, 1946 – November 9, 2026), looking back at the Constitution, adopted in the early days of independence, reminds us of an enduring value: the people’s right to mastery must be enshrined in the Constitution, guaranteed by law, and nurtured through culture.
The 1946 Constitution: The Strategic Vision of the First National Assembly
Nov 04, 2026 17:23

The Vietnamese National Assembly was formed and developed amidst the flames of the struggle to protect and preserve the fledgling independence of Vietnam. It was the founding National Assembly, the National Assembly of national independence, national unity, and national solidarity. Despite the widespread and increasingly fierce war waged by French colonialism, and the frenzied opposition of reactionary forces, the National Assembly still managed to hold two sessions in 1946, accomplishing significant and h
The 1946 Constitution - the ideological significance of Ho Chi Minh's vision of a truly people's state, by the people, and for the people
Nov 04, 2026 17:19

Eighty years ago, in the early days of building the revolutionary government, President Ho Chi Minh, together with the National Assembly, laid the foundation for a democratic state in which the people are the supreme subjects of power. Through progressive and ahead-of-its-time provisions, the 1946 Constitution not only institutionalized the aspirations for independence and freedom but also profoundly embodied Ho Chi Minh's thought on the right to self-determination, human rights, the responsibility of the