Vietnam - January 2023

Vietnam's president Nguyen Xuan Phuc stepped down on 17 January following ruling Communist Party accusations of corrupt conduct by officials under his control. Phuc's departure marks the first resignation of a Vietnamese sitting president and is the highest-profile casualty of the country's anti-corruption crackdown. Two of the country's four deputy prime ministers were also expelled from the party earlier in the month. Analysts note that the resignation will allow party chief Nguyen Phu Trong to further concentrate political power.

Sources: Reuters, Deutsche Welle, Nikkei Asia, The Diplomat