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INTERNATIONAL

On a personal level, I did a university business is publishing and not catering, we decided, with a certain
programme that has no connection with twinge of regret, to sell the café.
the publishing business. But I always had
the idea of taking over the family business, You have also been involved in politics, and have sat in Geneva’s
for it’s a unique opportunity to be able to cantonal parliament, the Grand Conseil. Why did you withdraw
work for yourself. After my first professional from politics?
experience in the world of consulting and I’ve always had a passion for politics, both in Geneva and at the
auditing, it was quite natural for me to join federal level. My maternal grandfather, Emile Dupont, was a State
the family business. First part-time to do my Councillor in the 1950s/60s. So, I stood for election to the Grand
advanced degree in international relations, Council in 2001 and, to my great surprise, I was elected on the first
then full-time. round. After 15 years in parliament and 4 successive elections, I
resigned in March 2015. This resignation followed my appointment
Today the traditional book publishing business to presidency of the Fédération des entreprises romandes. It was
is facing huge challenges. Do you think we are indeed incompatible to chair an employers’ federation like the FER
moving toward bookless society in the future? and pursue a political mandate at the same time. Looking back, I
No. Books are still a safe bet. I’ve been hearing have no regrets about that choice. It is possible that I shall return to
for over 20 years that books are going to politics when I leave my position at the FER.
disappear. In reality, this is not the case at all.
The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that. You have just been re-elected as Chairman of the Fédération des
During this strange period, the taste for books entreprises romandes (FER). Could you tell us what exactly you
(paper – not e-books) and reading made a are doing in this setting?
strong comeback. The book remains a special Chairman of the Fédération des entreprises romande is equivalent
object, and neither technological change nor to Chairman of the board of directors in a public limited liability
changes in society are calling it into question. company. The job involves ensuring the governance of the Federation
People have never written so much. We by validating its strategy and acting as its supreme oversight body.
receive more than one proposal per day on It’s an exciting job that demands time and commitment. The
average, and the number of books published Fédération des entreprises romandes is a very large organisation.
is increasing every year. I chair the largest old-age and survivors’ insurance fund in
Switzerland, FER CIAV, and I am also vice-chairman of CIEPP, one
You also run a Café litteraire in the Old City of the 20 largest private pension funds in Switzerland. In addition to
of Geneva. How did you get the idea to set it its social insurance activities, the FER offers a wide range of services
up, and what exactly do you do? to its members, and is a powerful lobby that defends framework
The history of the Slatkine café is a special conditions conducive to a liberal and responsible economy. We
one. It was originally the Slatkine & fils defend a strong social partnership and work on the challenges
bookshop opened by my great-grandfather in of the future, such as digitalisation, sustainable development and
1918. While my grandfather and father were changes in the labour market.
trained in antiquarian books, my brother and
I were not. When in 2014/2015 our father Finally Mr Slatkine, our readers are mainly people in the
said he wanted to retire (he was over 80), international community. If you have a message for them, what
my brother and I came up with the idea of would that be?
transforming the bookshop and literary café, My dream is to see stronger links between local Geneva and
with the idea of continuing the tradition of international Geneva. Having done my DES international relations
books while at the same time making new at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
use of this commercial premises, which we (HEI) and being married to an American, I have very good contacts
had rented for over 100 years. I’m speaking with international Geneva, which is one of the lungs of Geneva’s
in the past tense because we closed the café economy. But I always regret that these two worlds find it hard to
at the end of May 2023 and sold the lease to a interact more. There is a lack of understanding, and sometimes even
third party. The COVID-19 pandemic had a fear, among the local population of Geneva about International
very negative effect on the number of people Geneva. Yet these two worlds are linked and depend on each other.
visiting the café, and after the end of the They are complementary. We need to do everything we can to
pandemic, sales were not picking up. After a ensure that there are more links between these two worlds, which
long period of reflection, given that our core make Geneva the smallest of the world’s great cities.

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