His Excellency Dr. Patrick Herminie was sworn in as the 5el President of the Republic of Seychelles on 26el October 2025. A medical doctor by training, he earned his Doctorate in General Medicine from Charles University in Prague in 1990 and later completed a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Leeds as a Chevening Scholar. Over the years, he held several senior leadership posts in Seychelles’ Ministry of Health, including Director General for Disease Prevention and Control and Director General for Primary Health Care. He also served as Secretary of State for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation from 2016 to 2020 and chaired the Agency for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation.
Dr. Herminie entered politics in the early 1990s, contributing to the drafting of the Constitution of the Third Republic before being elected to the National Assembly for the English River constituency. He served as Majority Leader and later as Speaker of the National Assembly from 2007 to 2016. His tenure was marked by efforts to elevate the Seychelles National Assembly to international standards and to strengthen the competence and efficiency of its secretariat. His leadership extended regionally and internationally through roles within the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference and the SADC Parliamentary Forum. In 2021, he became President of the United Seychelles Party.
Recognised for his contribution to international cooperation, he received the Czech Gratias Agit Award in 2014 and has been an advocate for public health and social justice, including work with ARASA. He is also an active advocate for the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), particularly on issues related to public health and social justice.
