Distinguishing between group interests and collective interests

(Baonghean) - Since the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the term "group interests" has been used in Party and State documents. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the first to openly name "group interests" in his closing speech at the 3rd Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (11th term).

To identify the nature of vested interests, the Central Inspection Commission, in coordination with the Scientific Council of the Central Party Agencies, recently organized a seminar entitled: "The Current Situation, Trends, and Solutions for Combating Vested Interests in Vietnam." The general consensus expressed in the 21 papers presented by scientists, leaders, and managers was that vested interests, formed by powerful individuals colluding for personal gain, are a major cause of corruption within the state apparatus and society. Vested interests cause multifaceted harm: hindering the implementation of the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws; causing significant damage to state, social, collective, and individual assets; corrupting the ranks of cadres and civil servants, disrupting ethical standards; and eroding public trust in the Party, the State, and the regime. Through this workshop, the issue of vested interests was analyzed, dissected, and identified more fully, and on that basis, effective solutions to prevent and combat vested interests were proposed.

However, at this conference, a crucial issue remained unclear: the distinction between group interests and collective interests. Scientists participating in the conference raised the point that there are negative group interests and positive group interests. Using the term "positive group interests" would confuse group interests with collective interests, which are two fundamentally different types of interests. Group interests, in any form, are the personal interests of a group of powerful individuals who collude with each other. Collective interests, on the other hand, are the legitimate, legal, and public interests of a community, distributed fairly according to the results of each member's labor. There are many levels of collective interest: the interests of a group of people cooperating in production, business, or scientific research; the interests of an agency, unit, or enterprise; the interests of an industry or locality; and, more broadly, the interests of a nation or people. Regardless of the level, collective interests are both achievements and driving forces for socio-economic development, and do not cause negative harm like group interests. When group interests "expand," collective interests are violated; therefore, combating group interests is precisely to protect collective interests.

In reality, there are negative elements who, in the name of collective interest, pursue group interests. There are also cases where workers cannot distinguish between collective interest and group interest, and are therefore exploited and drawn into these groups by negative elements. To protect collective interest, from leaders to officials, civil servants, and workers, everyone must demonstrate a spirit of ownership and a high sense of responsibility. Conversely, to pursue group interests, negative elements chase personal gain, disregarding collective interest. Collective interest and group interest are fundamentally different in nature, motivation, and impact on society. Therefore, the term "positive group interest" should not be used; if there is such a thing as a positive group interest, it is a collective interest distinct from (negative) group interest. This is not just a matter of terminology, but a way of identifying group interest. Collective interest is distributed fairly, openly, and democratically. Furthermore, group interests are "divided" according to power, a kind of "hidden" interest that is never publicly disclosed or transparent. That is the fundamental difference between collective interest and group interest.

Distinguishing between group interests and collective interests is not only a requirement of scientific thinking but also a practical issue in the fight against corruption and negative practices within group interest relationships.

Tran Hong Co