Elisabeth Baume-Schneider has landed in Bern. She has left her spaceship and is now standing on the dome of the Federal Palace, her canton’s flag in her hand: one small step for Baume-Schneider, one giant step for Jura. This is how a caricaturist drew it in the local newspaper “Le Quotidien Jurassien”. The message is clear: Baume-Schneider is the first Jura federal councilor to go down in history.
However, some observers also believe that there is much more to Wednesday’s elections: now the canton of Jura is finally part of Switzerland. Baume-Schneider also saw it that way during her first press conference as a member of the Federal Council: “We are no longer fighting. We’re in now.”
For a long time, the Jura lived under the thumb of the canton of Bern. The north of the Jura in particular felt oppressed. What has always heated the mood: the inhabitants of Bern were Protestant, the Jura were predominantly Catholic. Added to this was the barrier between Bärdütsch and Frans. And now this conflict should be over once and for all?
Tram tracks in Bern covered in tar
Baume-Schneider’s statement is actually premature, says former national councilor Andreas Gross, who has lived in the Jura for decades: “Mrs. Baume-Schneider probably wanted to calm down the Bernese. But it cannot be ruled out that a future generation will of the Jura will not accept.”
The dispute revolves around several territorial ideas. And they still exist. In 1947 separatist organizations, such as the Rassemblement jurassien, emerged as fighters for independence. They wanted to free themselves from the clutches of the Bernese bear and founded their own canton, which would consist of six districts.
The smoldering conflict escalates and leads to radical actions. The rebellious Béliers close up the entrance to Bern’s town hall and pour tar on the tram tracks of the federal city. Radical separatists carry out bomb attacks on ammunition depots and the Bern Cantonal Bank in Delémont. Until the Bernese government gives in, there will always be street fights.
‘I’m still fighting for a merger of the two Jura’
Different moods followed in the 1970s. Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Schweizer agree to the demand for autonomy – on January 1, 1979, the canton of Jura is founded. The balance of the separatists is mixed: the southern Jura – also called the Bernese Jura – remains faithful to the bear. Even a second vote in 2013 changes nothing. The southern Jura does not want to join the canton of Jura.
In the north of the region, some people still haven’t digested it to this day. Among them Denise Béguelin (77). Her husband Roland Béguelin, leader of the separatists, who died in 1993, is considered the father of the Canton of Jura. Several streets and squares bear his name. SonntagsBlick meets Béguelin’s widow during the elections to the Federal Council at the Hôtel de Boeuf in Delsberg JU. While she also sees Baume-Schneider’s choice as a rapprochement, she says, “Bern’s wounds are deep.” Alain Charpilloz, former entrepreneur in the Jura and editor of the newspaper “Jura Libre”, agrees that the past is not simply forgotten. “I’m still fighting for a merger of the two Jura’s,” he insists. Charpilloz should now be in a minority.
Violent protests in Moutier
Separatist movements such as the Jurassic Rassemblement are losing support. Andreas Gross explains: “Younger people identify less with the canton and show less interest in the Jura question.” In addition, the southern Jura in Bern enjoys numerous advantages, such as its own governing council. “As long as Bern looks particularly good, most of the southern Jura will probably want to stay,” says Gross. The Jurassic issue has also been clarified for many Northern Jurassic people since the 2013 vote.
But the Moutier case shows how quickly emotions can flare up again. The city in the south of the Jura decided in 2017 to move to the canton of Jura. The Berner canceled the vote. This led to violent protests and a second vote in 2021. It is now clear: Moutier will become part of the canton of Jura in 2026.
Roland Béguelin always expressed the fear that a Jura federal councilor could be corrupted by Bern. But his widow says: “He would have been satisfied with Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.” You will not forget the interests of the Jura.