Patrick HerminieHerminie in 20146th President of SeychellesIncumbentAssumed office 26 October 2025Vice PresidentSebastien PillayPreceded byWel RamkalawanSpeaker of the National Assembly of SeychellesIn office29 May 2007 – 27 September 2016Preceded byFrancis MacGregorSucceeded byPatrick Pillay Personal detailsBornMathew Antonio Patrick Herminie (1963-09-22) 22 September 1963 (age 62)[1]Baie St. Anne, Praslin, SeychellesPartyUSSpouseVeronique HerminieChildren5Alma materUniversity of LeedsCharles University[1]
Patrick Herminie (born 22 September 1963) is the President of the Republic of Seychelles since October 2025.
He served as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles from 2007 to 2016. He was first elected to the Assembly in 1993 and served as the Leader of Government Business from 1998 to 2003.[1] A former member of the People's Party, Herminie ran in the 2025 presidential election as the candidate for United Seychelles (US).[2]
Following the opposition's victory in the September 2016 parliamentary election, Patrick Pillay was elected as Speaker of the National Assembly, succeeding Patrick Herminie on 27 September 2016.[3]
In October 2023, Patrick Herminie, who leads the United Seychelles party and plans to stand as a candidate in the 2025 presidential election, was charged with witchcraft by the Seychellois public prosecutor. He denied the charges, describing them as politically motivated.[4] In February 2024, the Victoria public prosecutor's office dropped all accusations against him.[2]
Early life, education and career[edit]Patrick Herminie was born on 22 September 1963 at Baie St. Anne Praslin Hospital, on Seychelles' second-largest island. He was the fourth of five children in a family where his mother, Christa Herminie (née Jules), was a housewife, and his father, Louis Herminie, worked as a policeman.[1]
A few years after Patrick was born, his parents, who had been living on Praslin due to his father's work posting, moved back to Mahé, the mainland of Seychelles. There, they settled and raised their five children. During this time, Patrick's father continued working as a policeman, while his mother, a former seamstress, stayed at home to care for the family.[5]
As a young boy, Herminie attended Seychelles College, an all-boys' school established in 1947. At the time, Seychelles College, along with Regina Mundi Convent for girls, was regarded as a cornerstone of modern education in Seychelles. Both schools were closed in the early 1980s when the government introduced free and compulsory education, requiring children to attend schools within their respective districts.[1]
While at Seychelles College, Herminie served as the captain of the Schalke 04 youth football team, leading them in various competitions.[6]
After completing his O Levels and A Levels at Seychelles College, Herminie pursued a Doctorate in General Medicine at Charles University in Prague, Czechoslovakia, graduating in 1990.
Upon returning to Seychelles in 1991, he met Veronique Sinon, whom he later married. The couple has two children: Venessa Herminie, currently a medical doctor, and Martin Herminie, a civil engineer.[1]
After earning his Doctorate in General Medicine, Herminie was appointed as a Medical Officer at Victoria Hospital in 1990. He was promoted to Senior Medical Officer in 1992 and became the Director of the Environmental Health Section at the Ministry of Health in 1995. That same year, he received the Chevening Award from the British government and completed a Master's degree in Public Health at the Nuffield Institute, University of Leeds, in England.
After returning to Seychelles, Herminie was appointed Director General of Disease Prevention and Control in the Ministry of Health in 1996. Committed to continually enhancing his knowledge and skill set, Herminie made it a priority to invest in further education. In 1997, he attended a Training of Trainers (Epidemic Control) course organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The following year, in 1998, he was appointed Director General of the Division of Primary Health Care in the Ministry of Health.[5]
From 2000 to 2003, Herminie served as the Director General of Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health.
In 2004, Herminie decided to pursue a career as a full-time politician (see political career). However, he had to temporarily step back in 2016 when his party lost the legislative election. By that time, Herminie had served as the Speaker of the National Assembly.
From 2016 to 2020, Herminie served as Secretary of State for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation. By then, Seychelles was facing an unprecedented epidemic of heroin addiction. In response, Herminie established an agency to tackle the issue directly.[1]
Political career[edit]Herminie's political career began in 1992 when he was appointed as a member of the commission drafting the Constitution of the Third Republic. In 1993, he was elected as a Member of the National Assembly for the English River Constituency and was re-elected in 1998 and 2002.[1]
Political offices[edit] 1998–2007: Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly (Majority Leader) 1998–2010: Member of the Central Committee of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front, the ruling party at the time 2003: Re-elected Member of the National Assembly for the English River Constituency 2007–2011 (October): Speaker of the 4th National Assembly of Seychelles 2011–2016 (September): Speaker of the 5th National Assembly of Seychelles 2015–2020: National Executive Committee Member for Parti Lepep / United Seychelles On 31 January 2021, Dr. Patrick Herminie was elected Leader of the United Seychelles Party, the main opposition political party. Chairmanship[edit]In 2012, Herminie was elected Chairperson of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) for the Africa Region, a position he held until 2013.
Between 2015 and 2016, Herminie was elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the SADC Parliamentary Forum and as Chairperson of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) at the international level.
During his time as Speaker of the National Assembly and a member of the Executive Committee of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Herminie worked to raise the Assembly's standards to meet international norms. Additionally, he strengthened the competence of its secretariat to better support the needs of the new parliamentarians.[7]
In 2017, President Danny Faure announced the composition of the Board of the new Agency for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation (APDAR). The Board was headed by Herminie as chairperson, a position he held until 2020.[7]
2025 presidential campaign[edit]Herminie ran for president of Seychelles in the 2025 Seychellois general election, defeating incumbent president Wel Ramkalawan following a run-off vote.[8]
Presidency (2025–present)[edit] Patrick Herminie on inauguration dayOn 26 October 2025, Dr. Patrick Herminie was sworn in as the 6th President of the Republic of Seychelles, replacing Wel Ramkalawan.[9]
The ceremony, held at Stade Linité in Victoria, was attended by senior government officials and foreign dignitaries, including the Vice President of the Republic of India, Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan; the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr. Ninchandra Ramgoolam; the Vice Chairperson of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mr. Gao Yunlong; the Prime Minister of Tanzania, Hon. Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa; and the President of the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Commission and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Comoros, Mr. Mohamed Mbae.[10]
Also present were Herminie’s predecessor Wel Ramkalawan, other former presidential candidates, and representatives of civil society.
During his inauguration speech, Herminie reiterated his campaign motto “for many, not the few” framing it as a guiding principle for his administration. He said his government would prioritize addressing inequality, strengthening public health and education systems, and ensuring that national development benefits all Seychellois, not just the privileged few.[11]
“We may be a small nation, but we are a nation with a big heart. And in that heart, love for Seychelles unites us,” Herminie declared. “Just as Dr. Martin Luther King stood decades ago, tonight I too stand atop a mountain, and I he a dream, a Seychellois Creole dream, for a nation where unity is our strength, dignity our habit, and justice our daily existence. A nation united in our Creole culture.”
Herminie’s newly formed cabinet, which includes several first-time ministers and a record number of women, is expected to be the first gender-parity government in the country’s history.[3]
References[edit] ^ a b c d e f g h "Member page on Assembly website". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015. ^ a b "SEYCHELLES Abandon des charges contre l'opposant seychellois, accusé de "sorcellerie"". Voa Afrique (in French). 16 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024. ^ Patsy Athanase and Betymie Bonnelame, "A new legislative look: Seychelles’ sixth National Assembly sworn in", Seychelles News Agency, 27 September 2016. ^ "Seychelles opposition leader Patrick Herminie charged with witchcraft". BBC News. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023. ^ a b Marivel, S. (9 June 2014). "Big Interview with Dr. Herminie, Secretary of State Responsible for the Prevention of Drug and Rehabilitation". Today in Seychelles. ^ Marivel, S. "Big Interview with Dr. Herminie, Secretary of State Responsible for the Prevention of Drug and Rehabilitation". Today in Seychelles. Retrieved 6 March 2017. ^ a b Pointe, Else (28 June 2021). "Dr Patrick Herminie, president of United Seychelles political party". Nation. Retrieved 9 September 2021. ^ "Opposition leader Patrick Herminie wins presidential runoff election in Seychelles". AP News. Retrieved 12 October 2025. ^ "Patrick Herminie sworn in as Seychelles sixth president". Retrieved 27 October 2025. ^ [1] ^ [2] vtePresidents, prime ministers and vice-presidents of the SeychellesPresidents James Mancham France-Albert René James Michel Danny Faure Wel Ramkalawan Patrick Herminie Prime ministers James Mancham France-Albert René post abolished 1977 Vice-presidents post created 1996 James Michel Joseph Belmont Danny Faure Vincent Meriton Ahmed Afif Sebastien Pillay vteCurrent members of the Cabinet of Seychelles Herminie Pillay Alexander Belle Bernstein Charlette Cosgrow Desaubin Fanny Faure P. Laporte V. Laporte Pierre Rose vteCurrent heads of state of republicsAfrica Algeria: Abdelmadjid Tebboune Angola: João Lourenço Benin: Patrice Talon Botswana: Duma Boko Burkina Faso: Ibrahim Traoré* Burundi: Évariste Ndayishimiye Cameroon: Paul Biya Cape Verde: José Maria Neves Central African Republic: Faustin-Archange Touadéra Chad: Mahamat Déby Comoros: Azali Assoumani Democratic Republic of the Congo: Félix Tshisekedi Republic of the Congo: Denis Sassou Nguesso Djibouti: Ismaïl Omar Guelleh Egypt: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Equatorial Guinea: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Eritrea: Isaias Afwerki Ethiopia: Taye Atske Selassie Gabon: Brice Oligui Nguema The Gambia: Adama Barrow Ghana: John Mahama Guinea: Mamady Doumbouya* Guinea-Bissau: Horta Inta-A Na Man* Ivory Coast: Alassane Ouattara Kenya: William Ruto Liberia: Joseph Boakai Libya: Mohamed al-Menfi* Madagascar: Michael Randrianirina Malawi: Peter Mutharika Mali: Assimi Goïta* Mauritania: Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Mauritius: Dharam Gokhool Mozambique: Daniel Chapo Namibia: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Niger: Abdourahamane Tchiani* Nigeria: Bola Tinubu Rwanda: Paul Kagame Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic: Brahim Ghali São Tomé and Príncipe: Carlos Vila Nova Senegal: Bassirou Diomaye Faye Seychelles: Patrick Herminie Sierra Leone: Julius Maada Bio Somalia: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Somaliland: Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa Sudan: Transitional Sovereignty Council* South Sudan: Salva Kiir Mayardit Tanzania: Samia Suluhu Hassan Togo: Jean-Lucien Si de Tové Tunisia: Kais Saied Uganda: Yoweri Museveni Zambia: Hakainde Hichilema Zimbabwe: Emmerson Mnangagwa Asia Abkhazia: Badra Gunba* Armenia: Vahagn Khachaturyan Azerbaijan: Ilham Aliyev Bangladesh: Mohammed Shahabuddin China: Xi Jinping Georgia: Salome Zourabichvili India: Droupadi Murmu Indonesia: Prabowo Subianto Iran: Ali Khamenei Iraq: Abdul Latif Rashid Israel: Isaac Herzog Kazakhstan: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev North Korea: Kim Jong Un South Korea: Lee Jae Myung Kyrgyzstan: Sadyr Japarov Laos: Thongloun Sisoulith Lebanon: Joseph Aoun Maldives: Mohamed Muizzu Mongolia: Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh Myanmar: Min Aung Hlaing* Nepal: Ram Chandra Poudel Pakistan: Asif Ali Zardari Palestine: Mahmoud Abbas Philippines: Bongbong Marcos Singapore: Tharman Shanmugaratnam South Ossetia: Alan Gagloev Sri Lanka: Anura Kumara Dissanayake Syria: Ahmed al-Sharaa Taiwan: Lai Ching-te Tajikistan: Emomali Rahmon Timor-Leste: José Ramos-Horta Turkmenistan: Serdar Berdimuhamedow Uzbekistan: Shkat Mirziyoyev Vietnam: Lương Cường Yemen: Rashad al-Alimi* Europe Albania: Bajram Begaj Austria: Alexander Van der Bellen Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko Bosnia and Herzegovina: Denis Bećirović, Željka Cvijanović, Željko Komšić Bulgaria: Rumen Radev Croatia: Zoran Milanović Cyprus: Nikos Christodoulides Czech Republic: Petr Pel Estonia: Alar Karis Finland: Alexander Stubb France: Emmanuel Macron Germany: Frank-Walter Steinmeier Greece: Konstantinos Tasoulas Hungary: Tamás Sulyok Iceland: Halla Tómasdóttir Ireland: Catherine Connolly Italy: Sergio Mattarella Kosovo: Vjosa Osmani Latvia: Edgars Rinkēvičs Lithuania: Gitanas Nausėda Malta: Myriam Spiteri Debono Moldova: Maia Sandu Montenegro: Jakov Milatović North Macedonia: Gordana Siljanovska-Dkova Northern Cyprus: Tufan Erhürman Poland: Karol Nawrocki Portugal: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa Romania: Nicușor Dan Russia: Vladimir Putin San Marino: Matteo Rossi, Lorenzo Bugli Serbia: Aleksandar Vučić Slovakia: Peter Pellegrini Slovenia: Nataša Pirc Musar Switzerland: Guy Parmelin, Karin Keller-Sutter, Ignazio Cassis, Albert Rösti, Élisabeth Baume-Schneider, Beat Jans, Martin Pfister Transnistria: Vadim Krasnoselsky Turkey: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskyy North America Barbados: Jeffrey Bostic Costa Rica: Rodrigo Ches Robles Cuba: Miguel Díaz-Canel Dominica: Sylvanie Burton Dominican Republic: Luis Abinader El Salvador: Nayib Bukele Guatemala: Bernardo Arévalo Haiti: Laurent Saint-Cyr* Honduras: Xiomara Castro Mexico: Claudia Sheinbaum Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega, Rosario Murillo Panama: José Raúl Mulino Trinidad and Tobago: Christine Kangaloo United States: Donald Trump South America Argentina: Jier Milei Bolivia: Rodrigo Paz Pereira Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Chile: Gabriel Boric Colombia: Gusto Petro Ecuador: Daniel Noboa Guyana: Irfaan Ali Paraguay: Santiago Peña Peru: José Jerí Suriname: Jennifer Geerlings-Simons Uruguay: Yamandú Orsi Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro Oceania Fiji: Naiqama Lalabalu Kiribati: Taneti Maamau Marshall Islands: Hilda Heine Micronesia: Wesley Simina Nauru: Did Adeang Palau: Surangel Whipps Jr. Samoa: Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II Vanuatu: Nikenike Vurobaru Asterisks (*) indicate an acting head of stateItalics indicate a head of state of non-UN member state vteCommonwealth heads of government Head: Charles III Secretary-General: Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Chair-in-Office: Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt Antigua and Barbuda: Browne Australia: Albanese Bahamas: Dis Bangladesh: Yunus (Acting, as Chief Advisor to the Government) Barbados: Mottley Belize: Briceño Botswana: Boko Brunei: Bolkiah Cameroon: Biya Canada: Carney Cyprus: Christodoulides Dominica: Skerrit Eswatini: Dlamini Fiji: Rabuka Gabon: Oligui The Gambia: Barrow Ghana: Mahama Grenada: Mitchell Guyana: Ali India: Modi Jamaica: Holness Kenya: Ruto Kiribati: Maamau Lesotho: Matekane Malawi: Mutharika Malaysia: Anwar Maldives: Muizzu Malta: Abela Mauritius: Ramgoolam Mozambique: Chapo Namibia: Nandi-Ndaitwah Nauru: Adeang New Zealand: Luxon Nigeria: Tinubu Pakistan: Shehbaz Papua New Guinea: Marape Rwanda: Kagame Saint Kitts and Nevis: Drew Saint Lucia: Pierre Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Friday Samoa: Schmidt Seychelles: Herminie Sierra Leone: Bio Singapore: Wong Solomon Islands: Manele South Africa: Ramaphosa Sri Lanka: Dissanayake Tanzania: Samia Togo: Gnassingbé Tonga: Fakafānua Trinidad and Tobago: Persad-Bissessar Tuvalu: Teo Uganda: Museveni United Kingdom: Starmer Vanuatu: Napat Zambia: Hichilema