Gerhard Andrey, a green man convinced by digital technology5 reading minutes

Fribourg-born Gerhard Andrey is the co-founder of Liip SA, a company specializing in digital development and employing one hundred and fifty people. He has also been vice-president of the Swiss Greens since 2016. A quick interview in Fribourg, in a rather «leftist chic» office.

Le Regard LibreLiip SA is a 4.0 company, of which you are one of the founders. Why aren't you with the Greens?

Gerhard Andrey: Sustainability has three pillars: ecological, economic and social. In my opinion, the only party that tries to serve the interests of all three pillars is the Greens. I noticed this some time ago. Socialists often forget about pillars other than the social; the Greens don't integrate the social with the ecological and economic.

So, in your opinion, the Greens are also defending the economy?

Yes, absolutely. Take our «For a Green Economy» initiative launched in 2016: it garnered 36% yes votes, which is a very good score for a left-wing initiative on the economy. What we were proposing was in fact the circular economy. Nobody thinks it's a bad thing. It's just that conventional markets are afraid of losing their monopoly; but they're not against the sustainable economy.

Are many entrepreneurs committed to the Greens, and even to the left?

No, I'm one of the few entrepreneurs committed to the left. However, it's worth noting that entrepreneurs are rare among those involved in politics in general. In Fribourg, when I try to set up a support committee for some cause made up of entrepreneurs, I notice that this is a profile that is very rarely found in any of the parties.

The public is having a hard time thinking about the long term. How do you see the evolution of political discourse on this subject?

I'd like to see long-term public awareness, not just crises. Nor in reaction to public studies, such as the one recently published, which raise the profile of ecology just for a short period. I believe a new argument needs to be communicated: the solutions we propose are not only sustainable, they're the cheapest! Today, we don't see the costs of our system: they're hidden everywhere, except in the goods we consume. I don't think people are going to realize that we shouldn't act in such and such a way for ecological reasons, but for economic reasons. As time goes by, they'll realize, for example, that solar energy is cheap.

In other words, people don't care about ecology and only think about their money? 

Some do. But others act to create ecological change. This is the case with our company, where we have developed the image of a sustainable company. For example, we have chosen to locate our offices downtown, which means that only 5% of our employees come to work by individual motorized transport. In companies located on the outskirts of town, people have almost no choice but to come by car. It's a real way of life that I intend to promote via Liip, which has become a company of its own. cool and sexy.

How do you link your progressive discourse to the idea of safeguarding the environment?

Everyone loves nature. Nobody says we have to destroy it - there's no such thing. And yet, when it comes to choosing whether or not to build a new bypass road on agricultural land, the choice is always positive. But why exactly should we build yet another new road? It makes no sense. Why do we even want to keep moving? I don't know many people who would love to commute an hour to work. Why not use politics to rethink mobility, instead of subsidizing tar?

What's your ideal company?

A supportive society, but also one that considers that everyone has the choice to do what they want with their time, their life. I dream of a society that doesn't chase after the new iPhone. A society that seeks to generate money to buy new goods is absurd. What makes sense is to ask ourselves what kind of human beings we want to be. We're currently at a very interesting moment, as robots begin to compete with cardiologists, lawyers and others. This raises the question more than ever: where do we want to go as a society? Do we want to be just a wheel in a machine? Are we aiming for the next WhatsApp emoticon, or for happiness?

How can we achieve a society based on personal fulfillment other than economic fulfillment?

For me, the solution lies in an unconditional basic income. There's no point in fighting against robots and algorithms performing tasks that nobody really wants to do. We must seize the historic moment before us to privilege the actions we do with pleasure, not those we do reluctantly. In fact, the things we like to do are often part of craftsmanship in the broadest sense of the term, which adds value.

As a left-wing politician, you even dare to point the finger at the state administration?

Yes. If you can have the choice of doing something that gives you pleasure, rather than doing accounting or sending PDF files, for example, then you have to have the courage to change the whole system. People are afraid of this vision, which they associate with major job losses. But jobs have always been lost. A hundred years ago, people worked twice as hard as they do today. So, apparently, the work has already gone. On the other hand, we can afford far more goods than a hundred years ago. It's not inevitable that work as we understand it is gradually disappearing. It's an opportunity to concentrate on more interesting activities.

One interesting activity is politics. What is your personal goal in this area?

I'd like to sit on the National Council. In 2015, I ran on the list of the Fribourg Greens. It was a success for me because I had the best score, but unfortunately we didn't get a seat. Otherwise, I continue to sit on the board of the Swiss Greens. I was elected for a two-year term and will stand for re-election next April.

And what are your professional ambitions?

I'd like to continue developing Liip SA, which I consider to be a real gem. At the same time, I'm a member of the Board of Directors of Swiss Alternative Bank. This activity requires a lot of time and training to become a financial expert in a bank. What interests me most is the ethical banking. In my opinion, the entire banking sector is undergoing a process of renewal. Swiss Alternative Bank is setting a good example.

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com