Honorary Consul Proudly Promotes Switzerland In Southern France

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Geoffroy Baylaender has been a Swiss honorary consul in Montpellier, France, for two years. This hands-on role requires personal commitment, plus an ease with diplomatic protocol and delicate situations – all responsibilities that he embraces. This content was published on January 10, 2026 - 10:00 5 minutes

Emigration, returning to Switzerland, family, education, pensions, banking, insurance... I care about Swiss people living abroad and inform them about the issues that concern them. Passionate about languages and cultures, my career path took a short turn through marketing and assistant work before crossing the road into journalism, in a job that allows me to converse with people from all over the world.

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• Deutsch de Dieser Honorarkonsul rückt in Südfrankreich die Schweiz ins rechte Licht Read more: Dieser Honorarkonsul rückt in Südfrankreich die Schweiz ins rechte
• Français fr Dans le sud de la France, le consul honoraire Geoffroy Baylaender s'investit pour faire rayonner la Suisse Original Read more: Dans le sud de la France, le consul honoraire Geoffroy Baylaender s'investit pour faire rayonner la S
• Italiano it Nel sud della Francia, il console onorario Geoffroy Baylaender si impegna per promuovere la Svizzera Read more: Nel sud della Francia, il console onorario Geoffroy Baylaender si impegna per promuovere la Svi

“I'm proud of my country, and this position allows me to serve it in a new way. Before, it was as a member of the military; today, it's as an honorary consul,” says Baylaender.

The 38-year-old grew up in Lugano in the southern canton of Ticino. He moved to the south of France for professional reasons, first to Arles and then, in 2022, to Montpellier.

In this mini-series, Swissinfo examines the largely invisible network of Switzerland's 225 honorary consuls. Who are these individuals who act on behalf of Switzerland from Bordeaux to Brisbane and from Denver to Durban? What motivates them to take on this discreet role that can nevertheless prove very important in decisive moments? Their voluntary work is essential to giving Switzerland a presence worldwide.

He works in digital marketing in the dental sector, and established himself in the local economy with the help of the junior chamber of commerce. By chance, this network introduced him to the idea of becoming an honorary consul.

The opportunity arose when Baylaender presented a project at the chamber of commerce.“The vice president in charge of promoting the Montpellier metropolitan area received a call from the Swiss consul general in Marseille, who was looking for an honorary consul. After my presentation, she suggested that I apply for the position,” he explains. He took up the post in January 2024.

Multicultural

As is often the case in Switzerland, it is hard to determine Baylaender's cultural heritage from his name. He owes his first name to his mother, who grew up in French-speaking Sion in canton Valais. His last name comes from his German grandfather. And he is fluent in Italian because both he and his father were raised in Ticino.

“In Ticino, my first name and my surname were often mispronounced. At least in France my first name is pronounced correctly,” he says with a grin.

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