Le Regard Libre

What Le Regard Libre does

Le Regard Libre is an independent Swiss media outlet founded in 2014 and based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, publishing a monthly French-language liberal-conservative intellectual magazine in both print (CHF 10 per issue) and digital PDF (CHF 5 per issue) formats. The publication serves politically engaged readers, academics, professionals, and decision-makers in French-speaking Switzerland and broader Francophone Europe who seek nuanced commentary on politics, society, economics, philosophy, history, literature, cinema, music, and photography from a classical-liberal perspective. The company is led by founder and editor-in-chief Jonas Follonier, a philosophy graduate and journalist, and features editorial contributions from notable figures including former Swiss Confederation President Pascal Couchepin (monthly chronique column) and Sorbonne Professor Emeritus of Philosophy Jean-François Braunstein.

The publication operates on a WordPress-based digital platform with multilingual FR/DE/EN support via the TranslatePress plugin, developed and maintained by Novadev Sàrl. It monetizes through four streams: unit sales of print and digital editions, recurring subscriptions (CHF 2.50 first-month trial), and reader donations. Physical distribution is handled via postal delivery and the Payot Swiss bookstore chain, while digital access is offered direct-to-consumer with payment processed through Stripe, PayPal, bank transfer, or cheque. The publication does not operate a mobile app and does not disclose revenue, subscriber counts, or external funding.

Le Regard Libre maintains a monthly editorial cadence (edition N°128 published July 2026, with N°120 in October 2025) and an additional hors-série special-issue series, the latest being N°6 'Suisse et Etats-Unis, d'hier à aujourd'hui' (November 2025) — a multi-editor journalistic expedition across eight American states. Marketing is conducted through the company website, Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and a weekly Sunday newsletter. The organization is supported by 8 employees, runs no disclosed investor or institutional backing, and operates under Swiss law in the jurisdiction of the Tribunal d'arrondissement de Neuchâtel.

Name

Le Regard Libre

Legal name

Le Regard Libre

Website

https://leregardlibre.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Le Regard Libre is an independent Swiss monthly intellectual magazine founded in 2014 in Neuchâtel, publishing liberal-conservative essays, dossiers, and interviews in print and digital formats in French, German, and English for politically engaged readers across French-speaking Switzerland and broader Francophone Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Archives, Libraries & Institutional Access Platforms (MPAJAMAJ), Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Intellectual magazine
• Monthly print publication
• Political commentary
• Digital subscriptions
• Liberal media

Headquarters

HQ city

Neuchâtel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Digital Edition Sales: Individual digital (PDF) editions of the magazine sold at CHF 5.00 per issue.
2. Print Edition Sales: Individual paper magazine copies sold at CHF 10.00 per issue, excluding delivery charges.
3. Subscriptions: Monthly subscription plans starting at CHF 2.50 for the first month, providing ongoing access to all editions.
4. Donations: The publication accepts reader donations via a dedicated donation page.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Le Regard Libre is a Swiss monthly intellectual magazine published in print and digital (PDF) formats in French, German, and English. It sells individual editions (CHF 10 paper / CHF 5 digital) and recurring subscriptions (from CHF 2.50 first month), offering essays, interviews, dossiers, book reviews, and photo reportages on politics, philosophy, history, economics, literature, cinema, music, and society from a liberal-conservative editorial perspective.

Product overview

Le Regard Libre is a Swiss French-language liberal-conservative intellectual magazine that operates through three interconnected product lines: (1) the core magazine product published monthly in both print and digital formats covering politics, philosophy, literature, cinema, music, history, and society; (2) a digital kiosk allowing purchase of individual editions as PDFs or paper copies; and (3) subscription packages offering recurring access to all content. The publication also accepts donations. Each magazine edition typically features a thematic dossier, editorial columns, essays, interviews, and cultural reviews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Le Regard Libre (Monthly Magazine) A Swiss French-language liberal-conservative intellectual magazine published monthly in both print and digital (PDF) formats. Covers politics, philosophy, literature, cinema, music, history, economics, and society with editorial columns, essays, interviews, thematic dossiers, and cultural analysis. Targeted at intellectually engaged readers in French-speaking Switzerland and the broader Francophone world.
• Digital Kiosque (Digital Editions) An online digital kiosk on leregardlibre.com that enables customers to purchase individual magazine editions as downloadable PDFs at CHF 5 per issue. Allows readers to access past editions and individual issues without a subscription.
• Subscription Packages Recurring subscription plans providing ongoing access to all monthly print and digital editions, with a first-month trial offer starting at CHF 2.50. Subscriptions include postal delivery of physical copies within 5-8 days.
• Hors-série (Special Issues) Periodic special thematic editions (hors-série) complementing the regular monthly magazine, focusing on in-depth treatment of specific topics such as Switzerland-United States relations.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BonhôteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBonhôte (banking/financial services institution) is listed as a partner with a logo displayed in the partners section of the publication's website.
• PayotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayot, a Swiss bookseller and bookstore chain, is listed as a partner in the digital kiosk section, selling Le Regard Libre publications (including reviewed books by authors such as Ousmane Ndiaye).
• Antidote (Brouhaha)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAntidote (the language/s写作 software by Brouhaha) is listed as a partner, appearing in the partners section of the website.
• JoobleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJooble is an international job aggregation platform listed as a partner advertising employment opportunities within Le Regard Libre's platform.
• Pascal CouchepinminorOthersPascal Couchepin, former President of the Swiss Confederation and former Federal Councilor, serves as a contributor (author of a monthly reading/chronique column) and public endorser of Le Regard Libre.
• Jean-François BraunsteinminorOthersJean-François Braunstein, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the Sorbonne (Paris), provides testimonials endorsing Le Regard Libre as 'a liberal magazine, which no longer exists in France.'
• Laetitia GuinandminorOthersLaetitia Guinand, journalist, provides a public testimonial endorsing the publication's editorial line.
• Lionel HortminorOthersLionel Hort, a jurist, provides a public testimonial praising the publication's commitment to opening readers' horizons of thought.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marianne: Leading French weekly news and political magazine with strong opinion and intellectual commentary sections. Comparable as a French-language political/opinion magazine targeting engaged readers, though ideologically positioned to the left rather than classical-liberal.
• L'Express: Historic French weekly news magazine covering politics, society, ideas, and culture with long-form analysis and interviews. Comparable as a French-language opinion and ideas magazine in a similar editorial register to Le Regard Libre.
• Commentaire: French quarterly intellectual journal publishing essays on politics, philosophy, economics, and culture from a classical-liberal perspective. Highly comparable editorial line and intellectual depth, though published on a quarterly rather than monthly cadence.
• Le Temps: Swiss French-language daily newspaper based in Geneva covering politics, economics, culture, and ideas with an intellectual, opinion-rich register. Comparable as a Swiss French-language publication serving the same politically engaged Francophone Swiss audience.
• Le Point: Major French weekly news magazine covering politics, society, economics, and culture with substantial editorial and interview content. Comparable as a paid French-language weekly magazine with similar intellectual and political-analytical editorial mix.
• Causeur: French monthly intellectual magazine with a liberal-conservative editorial line, closely mirroring Le Regard Libre's positioning as a counterweight to mainstream French intellectual conformism. Highly comparable in format (monthly magazine), political orientation, and target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Le Figaro: France's leading conservative-leaning daily newspaper with extensive opinion, culture, and intellectual commentary sections. Comparable as a major French-language publication with a classical-liberal/right-of-center editorial line and broad intellectual content.
• Le Monde: France's flagship daily newspaper, with deep coverage of politics, ideas, and culture. Comparable as a French-language publication of intellectual authority, though ideologically positioned differently from Le Regard Libre.

Regional players

• La Liberté: Swiss French-language daily newspaper based in Fribourg, serving the same French-speaking Swiss readership with political, economic, and cultural coverage. Comparable as a domestic Swiss French-language publication targeting the same Swiss-French audience.
• Neue Zürcher Zeitung: Switzerland's leading German-language daily, with extensive opinion, philosophy, and cultural coverage. Comparable as a high-credibility Swiss intellectual publication; relevant because Le Regard Libre maintains a German-language edition targeting the same Swiss reader pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeRegardLibre
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6HzGPomj1LsUmlz-sJtITQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/leregardlibre
• Instagraminstagram.com/leregardlibre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-regard-libre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le Regard Libre