Swiss town of Moutier celebrates historic move from Bern to Jura

Residents of Moutier take part in celebrations to mark the town's historic transition from canton Bern to canton Jura, December 31, 2025. Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

At the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, the Swiss town of Moutier and its 7,300 inhabitants officially switched from canton Bern to canton Jura in northwestern Switzerland.

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“The town will rediscover its natural home,” Mayor Marcel Winistoerfer told 300 people in front of the town hall.

The residents of Moutier will be privileged to experience intense and extraordinary emotions with this change of canton, said the pro-Jura mayor, adding that a new, emotional, and adventurous chapter would enrich the country’s history.

Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, who hails from canton Jura, attended the event in a private capacity. A banquet for 1,200 people, a torchlight procession, and a light and sound show were organised.

‘A unique process’

The vice president of the Jura government, Stéphane Theurillat, also spoke of a historic event in his address. “What we are experiencing tonight goes far beyond current events and is part of a long struggle for a united Jura – a struggle that entire generations have waged with conviction,” he said.

The Jura cantonal government described the process of changing cantons as unique in Switzerland.

In a more militant speech, Cédric Erard, president of the “Moutier Ville jurassienne” committee, said the fight for Moutier’s cantonal affiliation had been hard. Much time had been lost through appeals that had been accepted “by an arbitrary and remotely controlled judiciary”, he said.

Erard felt that the wishes of Moutier’s neighbouring municipality, Belprahon, had been ignored. “Dear friends from Belprahon, don’t give up,” he told the residents of the village, to the applause of those present.

In 2017, Belprahon narrowly voted against Moutier’s transfer from canton Bern to Jura – at a time when Moutier’s future was uncertain due to appeals against the results of the initial vote on its future cantonal affiliation. Belprahon’s government subsequently argued that, due to the turmoil in nearby Moutier, voters in the fall of 2017 were unable to make a fully informed decision at the ballot box.

Moutier voted to join canton Jura in June 2017, but there were allegations of irregularities. The vote was subsequently annulled and repeated in March 2021.

In March 2021, a majority of people in Moutier approved the move to canton Jura  (54.9% of voters).

Adapted from French by AI/sb

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