Traveling through eight American states, four of our media editors explored what the USA and Switzerland, sister republics with cross-fertilizing democratic influences, still have to say to each other at a time of trade war launched by Donald Trump.
For one month, the Regard Libre crossed part of the United States, from the East Coast to Texas, via the Great Plains, the megalopolises and the mountains of Oklahoma. This journalistic and human adventure, carried out during the summer of 2025, gave birth to our special issue n°6, The result of teamwork, roadwork and reflection.
All too often, America comes to us through the distorting prism of ready-made images: a country torn apart, an empire in decline, a laboratory of excess. We wanted to see for ourselves. In the field, we encountered a more nuanced reality: a welcoming, enterprising people, deeply paradoxical too.
Intellectual and visual roadmap
At a time when Donald Trump is imposing 39% of tariffs on Swiss exports, (editor's note: down to 15% according to Friday's announcement), Le Regard Libre wanted to open up the discussion by exploring what these sister republics, which have mutually influenced each other's democratic systems, still have a lot to say to each other. The trade war launched by the American president is analysed in depth in the dossier in this month's current issue, devoted to the return of mercantilism.
Four observers took part in this expedition by plane, car, bus and on foot: Nicolas Brodard, Yann Costa, Nicolas Jutzet and myself. Together, we have signed the texts and images of this special issue, conceived as an intellectual and visual roadmap.
In reading these pages, we hope you'll rediscover some of the surprises of our journey and the contrasts of these lands. Our photographer Nicolas Brodard, who provided the artistic direction for the publication, has created a visual expression of these opposites. Gilded, it takes a critical look at the shortcomings and beauties of the present, exploiting the symbolism of the Golden Age to reveal them. Each image is composed of two photographs captured on location and placed in dialogue - without artificial intelligence. Bon voyage!
Graduate in philosophy and journalist by profession, Jonas Follonier is the editor-in-chief of Regard Libre. Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com.
You have just read an open-access summary from our dossier «Switzerland and the USA, past and present», published in our print edition (Le Regard Libre special issue N°6). Debates, analyses, cultural news: subscribe to support us and get access to all our content!
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1 comment
For Olivier Thévoz and Patrice Crisinel, Switzerland is reduced to a postcard? The CH tourist offices are certainly largely responsible for this simplistic vision. But they're not the only ones!