This isn't a farewell – not even a goodbye

After more than twelve years of helping to grow Le Regard Libre, I am stepping down from my executive role with mixed feelings, but I am glad to know that this collective endeavor is strong enough to continue under the editorial leadership of Pablo Sánchez. See you in September!

If you're reading this before the next issue comes out, it means I'm still the editor-in-chief of the Regard Libre. But by the time our September issue is published, that will no longer be the case.

Writing a farewell editorial – or even a "goodbye" editorial – wouldn't really fit the situation, though. Because I'm not leaving Le Regard Libre. A parent doesn't abandon their baby!

Admittedly, I will soon step down from my operational leadership role after twelve years spent building – alongside dozens of writers, photographers, columnists, partners, and, of course, readers – an adventure that has often surpassed even our own expectations and has been a major part of my life to this day. But I remain president of the association that publishes this magazine and will continue to contribute an article each month. Above all, I remain a member of this intellectual community that has formed over time and continues to grow stronger.

Pass to Pablo Sánchez

When I founded Le Regard Libre en janvier 2014, je ne savais pas exactement ce qu’il deviendrait. Toutefois, mes collègues et moi savions déjà ce qu’il ne devait pas être: un média prisonnier des conformismes. Nous voulions créer un espace où les idées puissent être discutées librement, où la culture et le débat d’idées soient pris au sérieux. Douze ans plus tard, cette ambition demeure intacte.

People come and go. They take on different roles. The institutions that endure are precisely those that embrace these changes without sacrificing their identity. In fact, perhaps the greatest compliment one can pay to the founder of a collective endeavor is to recognize that it no longer depends on him.

That is why, with great emotion, I am particularly pleased to hand over the editorship of this publication to my colleague Pablo Sánchez– who is currently in charge of the debates – on the 1st^er September, three days before my thirtieth birthday. Readers already know him. Over the past few years, I have come to appreciate his interpersonal and journalistic skills, his dedication, and his commitment to the values that have always guided our work. Le Regard Libre will continue to grow under his leadership, just as it has grown under the leadership of many people before him.

As for me, a new adventure is beginning in L'Agefi, dont j’ai repris la rédaction en chef le 15 juin dernier. Il existe cependant une continuité profonde entre ces deux engagements. Dans un cas comme dans l’autre, il s’agit de défendre la liberté et la responsabilité individuelles, le pluralisme médiatique, l’indépendance et bien sûr la recherche rigoureuse – et donc ouverte – de la vérité.

So no, this isn't a farewell. Not even a goodbye. It's simply a new chapter beginning, a story we'll continue to write together.

Thank you for the trust and curiosity you have shown over the years toward the Regard Libre – and that you’ve shown me. I have no doubt that you’ll remain just as loyal when school starts again in the fall. I can’t wait to see you all then! Until then, have a great summer.

Editor-in-Chief of L'Agefi, Jonas Follonier is the founder and president of the Regard Libre.

You have just read content published in our print edition (Le Regard Libre No. 128).