Elected and virtual, the Swiss people demystified by François Walter

Author of a canonical History of Switzerland and of recent guided walks in his «Au fil de l'histoire suisse» series, the university professor welcomes Le Regard Libre a few steps from the medieval ramparts of Fribourg.

In the cultural turnaround of European historiography, a generation of historians has undertaken the critical analysis of national myths and collective imaginations, aiming to contextualize what was hitherto presented as natural or timeless. François Walter is one of those interested in Switzerland's founding narratives. Interview.

In the Swiss case, the notion is particularly delicate. Originally, «the people» referred to the entire community, i.e. the whole of Switzerland.