Danny Faure

{{Short description|President of Seychelles (2016–2020)}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Danny Faure | image = Danny Faure (cropped).jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2018 | office = 4th President of Seychelles | vice_president = Vincent Meriton | term_start = 16 October 2016 | term_end = 26 October 2020 | predecessor = James Michel | successor = Wavel Ramkalawan | office1 = 3rd Vice-President of Seychelles | term_start1 = 1 July 2010 | term_end1 = 16 October 2016 | president1 = James Michel | predecessor1 = Joseph Belmont | successor1 = Vincent Meriton | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|5|8|df=y}} | birth_place = Kilembe, Protectorate of Uganda | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Jeanine Decommarmond<br />(div. 2016)<br />Shermin Rudie Faure<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/6061/Seychelles+Vice+President+and+wife+divorce|title=Seychelles Vice President and wife divorce|website=seychellesnewsagency.com}}</ref> | party = United Seychelles Party | alma_mater = University of Havana | children = 5 | relations = Barry Faure<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://observer.ug/news/seychelles-president-s-brother-laid-to-rest-in-kasese/|title=Seychelles president's brother laid to rest in Kasese|last=URN|date=4 June 2019|work=The Observer (Uganda)|access-date=2025-11-17|language=en}}</ref> }} '''Danny Faure''' (born 8 May 1962) is a Seychellois politician who served as the fourth President of Seychelles from 16 October 2016 until 26 October 2020. Previously, he served as Vice-President of Seychelles from 2010 to 2016. Faure is a member of the United Seychelles Party (PP).<ref name="One">{{cite web |author=Thande |first=George |date=16 October 2016 |title=Danny Faure sworn in as new president of Seychelles |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/r-danny-faure-sworn-in-as-new-president-of-seychelles-2016-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512040810/https://www.businessinsider.com/r-danny-faure-sworn-in-as-new-president-of-seychelles-2016-10 |archive-date=12 May 2019 |access-date=18 October 2016 |work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref name="Two">{{cite web| url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/6102/Seychelles'+new+President+Danny+Faure+sworn+in+to+office,+calls+for+unity |title=Seychelles' new President: Danny Faure sworn in to office, calls for unity | last=Uranie |access-date=18 October 2016 | date=16 October 2016 | first=Sharon | agency=Seychelles News Agency}}</ref>

==Background and education== Faure was born to Seychellois parents in the western Ugandan town of Kilembe.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|title=Explorers Directory|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.org/find-explorers/danny-faure|website=nationalgeographic.org|access-date=2020-05-28|archive-date=9 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009122547/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/find-explorers/danny-faure|url-status=dead}}</ref> He completed his primary and secondary education in the Seychelles. He studied at the University of Havana in Cuba,<ref>{{Cite web|title=The President – State House Seychelles {{!}} Office of the President|url=http://www.statehouse.gov.sc/the-president|access-date=2020-06-24|website=www.statehouse.gov.sc|language=en}}</ref> graduating with a degree in political science.<ref name="One"/><ref name="Two"/><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title=Danny Faure|url=https://roscongress.org/en/speakers/for-denni/biography/|website=Roscongress Building Trust|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref>

==Career== In 1985, at the age of 23, Faure started working as an assistant curriculum officer at the Seychelles education ministry. He also worked as a lecturer at both the National Youth Service and the Seychelles Polytechnic.<ref name="Two"/>

In 1993, following the return of multiparty democracy to the island nation, Faure became the leader of government business in the National Assembly, serving in that capacity until 1998.<ref name="auto"/> That year, he was appointed Minister of Education. Over the years, he has served in various ministerial capacities including youth, finance, trade and industries, public administration and information and communication technology.<ref name="Two"/>

In 2006, he was appointed Minister of Finance by President James Michel. During his tenure at the finance, Seychelles embarked on a series of economic reforms, recommended by the International Monetary Fund. Faure oversaw the first generation reforms, which ran from October 2008 to October 2013. Faure served as designated minister between 2004 and 2010. He became Vice-President on 1 July 2010, while retaining the finance portfolio.<ref name="One"/><ref name="Two"/>

==Presidency==

President James Michel announced on 27 September 2016 that he would resign, effective on 16 October, and transfer power to Vice-President Faure. The announcement coincided with the election of an opposition majority in the National Assembly. As there were four years of Michel's term remaining, it was to count as a full term for Faure.<ref>{{cite web |date=28 September 2016 |url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/5991/Shock%2C+sadness%2C+confusion+and+joy+Mixed+reactions+in+Seychelles+after+surprise+resignation+of+President+Michel |title=Shock, sadness, confusion and joy: Mixed reactions in Seychelles after surprise resignation of President Michel |agency=Seychelles News Agency |author1=Sharon Uranie |author2= Patsy Athanase |author3= Salifa Magnan |author4= Madiha Philo |access-date=18 October 2016}}</ref> Faure was accordingly sworn in on 16 October 2016.<ref name="One"/><ref name="Two"/>

On 14 April 2019, Faure visited a British research submersible and made a speech from underwater, pleading for stronger protections for the world's oceans.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/world/africa/seychelles-president-underwater-speech.html|title=Seychelles President Makes Underwater Plea to Protect World's Seas|last=Magra|first=Iliana|date=14 April 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-05-07|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=14 April 2019 |title=Seychelles president's underwater speech: Protect our oceans |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/seychelles-presidents-underwater-speech-protect-oceans-62388316 |work=ABC News |agency=Associated Press |access-date=14 April 2019}}</ref>

On 13 June 2019, Faure was awarded the National Geographic Society's prestigious ‘Planetary and Leadership Award’ at a National Geographic Awards Ceremony, at George Washington University, in Washington DC.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/11138/Feted+in+Washington%2C+Presidents+of+Seychelles+--+Faure+and+Michel+--+honoured+by+National+Geographic+Society+for+planetary+leadership|title=Feted in Washington, Presidents of Seychelles – Faure and Michel – honoured by National Geographic Society for planetary leadership|last=Magra|first=Iliana|date=13 June 2019|agency=Seychelles News Agency|access-date=2019-06-13|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=13 June 2019 |title=President Faure accepts Leadership Award from the National Geographic society |url=http://www.statehouse.gov.sc/news.php?news_id=4468 |publisher=Seychelles StateHouse News |agency=Associated Press |access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref>

In October 2020, Faure lost the presidential election to Wavel Ramkalawan who succeeded him as President of Seychelles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seychelles opposition candidate wins presidential election |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/25/seychelles-opposition-candidate-wins-presidential-election |access-date=2023-11-27 |publisher=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life== Faure is the father of three daughters and one son from his first marriage to Jeannine (née De Comarmond).<ref name="Two"/> Danny and Jeannine Faure finalized their divorce on 10 October 2016, less than one week before his inauguration as President of Seychelles.<ref name=sna2>{{cite news |first=|last=|title=Seychelles Vice President and wife divorce |url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/6061/Seychelles+Vice+President+and+wife+divorce |work=Seychelles News Agency |publisher= |date=2016-10-10 |access-date=2025-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250716151158/http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/6061/Seychelles+Vice+President+and+wife+divorce |archive-date=2025-07-16 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Faure married his second wife, Shermin Rudie Bastienne, on 4 April 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former president of Seychelles marries overseas, news report says|url=http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/14635/Former+president+of+Seychelles+marries+overseas%2C+news+report+says|access-date=2021-04-08|website=seychellesnewsagency.com}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Joseph Belmont}} {{s-ttl|title=Vice-President of Seychelles|years=2010–2016}} {{s-aft|after=Vincent Meriton}} |- {{s-bef|before=James Michel}} {{s-ttl|title=President of Seychelles|years=2016–2020}} {{s-aft|after=Wavel Ramkalawan}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Faure, Danny}} Category:1962 births Category:Education ministers of Seychelles Category:Ministers of finance of Seychelles Category:Ministers for foreign affairs of Seychelles Category:Industry ministers of Seychelles Category:Trade ministers of Seychelles Category:Youth ministers of Seychelles Category:Living people Category:United Seychelles Party politicians Category:Presidents of Seychelles Category:Vice-presidents of Seychelles Category:University of Havana alumni Category:Members of the National Assembly (Seychelles)