The head of government is responsible to the National Assembly and serves as the deputy chairman of the Council for Defence and Security.

Phạm Văn Đồng, unified Vietnam's first prime minister, often lamented that in practice he had little power.

Since the death of Phạm Hùng in 1988, the prime minister has been ranked third in the order of precedence of the Communist Party's Politburo, the highest decision-making body in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh, who also served as the country's president, was appointed Vietnam's first prime minister in 1946 by the National Assembly, after having served months as the acting chairman of the Provisional Government and foreign minister in the aftermath of the 1945 August Revolution.

[2] Both the 1946 and 1959 constitutions state that the National Assembly had the power to appoint and relieve the prime minister of his duties.

"[5] Since the death of Phạm Hùng in 1988, the prime minister has been ranked third in the order of precedence of the Communist Party's Politburo.

The prime minister issues directives and supervises the implementation of formal orders given by the president, the National Assembly or the Standing Committee.