He has at least thirteen hats on his head, as many as the stars on his cantonal flag. At the very limited level of French-speaking Switzerland, he represents a (small) public voice. He proposes his way of seeing the world to anyone who will listen: through the Appel Citoyen movement he co-founded, the Foraus think tank he vice-chaired or the ethics laboratory he still co-directs. He also unpacks his values on 19h30 when he is invited to talk about fundamental freedom, on Le Temps when he conducts a questionnaire on sustainability, or on his blog when he analyzes current events while presenting the object of his research. And when you're a philosopher, «the object of your research» is vast. And diluted.

The book «La suite des idées», published by Editions Favre last March, could be seen as a simple political dialogue between two leading liberal-radical personalities from the Valais, one a former President of the Confederation, the other a National Councillor. The book is much more than that: it offers genuine, practical reflections on liberalism. It gives a good idea of the burning questions that this family of thought cannot ignore, at a time when the individual, merit and responsibility are being called into question. Pascal Couchepin opens the doors of his office in Martigny, where he and Philippe Nantermod discussed a wide range of topics.

Le Valaisan Philippe Nantermod accède au Conseil national à l’âge de 31 ans. Son élection, le Chablaisien Philippe Nantermod la...