Cantons of Bern and Jura vote on change of canton from Moutier
Published: Monday, Aug 12th 2024, 09:40
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The transfer of the small town of Moutier from the canton of Bern to the canton of Jura is about to go to a decisive vote. On September 22, the voters of both cantons will decide on the contract that regulates the modalities of the change of canton.
The population of Moutier had already voted in favor of the change in 2021. Following this decision in principle, negotiations began on the modalities of the change of canton.
An important part of the treaty is the division of property. With Moutier, Bern cedes a share of its assets to the Jura in proportion to its population. However, the land and shareholdings transferred are likely to exceed this share in value, which is why the Jura must make a compensation payment to Bern.
The exact amount is still open. According to the canton's voting information, it would have amounted to around CHF 4.4 million at the end of 2023.
Hardly any resistance
Observers assume that the voters of both cantons will clear the way for the change of canton on September 22. After that, the federal councils must also approve the change in the territories of the two cantons of Bern and Jura - a mere formality. If all the votes are won, Moutier will become part of the Jura at the beginning of 2026.
However, if the change of canton is rejected in one of the two cantons in September, Moutier would remain Bernese. This would probably add fuel to the now almost extinguished fire of the Jura conflict. Something that both cantons and the federal government definitely do not want.
Draw a line
For most voters in the canton of Bern, particularly in the large German-speaking part of the canton, the departure of Moutier is unlikely to cause any major waves. For many, the main thing is probably to finally put a decades-old conflict behind them.
The Bernese Grand Council approved the agreement by 112 votes to 19 with 26 abstentions. The Jura cantonal parliament approved the agreement at second reading by 53 votes to 1 with 5 abstentions.
With the change of canton from Moutier, the Jura issue should be definitively resolved. However, not everyone in the region agrees with this. Particularly in pro-Jura circles, people want to remain open to possible future developments.
Giving up territorial claims
Parallel to the concordat, voters will also decide on the necessary constitutional amendments in September. This aspect is interesting in the canton of Jura. The issue there is the deletion of a passage that aims to unite the Jura and Bernese Jura in a new canton.
The canton of Bern always saw the article as a provocation. This was particularly the case after the population of Bernese Jura - with the exception of Moutier and a few small municipalities - voted by over 70 percent in favor of remaining part of Bern in 2013.
After the referendum, those communes in Bernese Jura that wished to do so were able to request a change of canton to Jura. Only in Moutier was there ultimately a majority in favor.
With the move from Moutier to the canton of Jura, the canton of Bern is losing around 7200 residents and the Bernese Jura is losing one of its centers.
Long fight
The Jura conflict dates back to the Congress of Vienna in 1815, when seven districts of the diocese of Basel were awarded to the state of Bern: Pruntrut, Delsberg, Freiberge, Moutier, Courtelary, Neuenstadt and Laufen.
Conflicts soon arose with the new masters in the house, which broke out openly at the end of the 1940s. There were calls for a secession from Bern.
After several plebiscites, the northern districts became the canton of Jura in 1979, while the southern districts of Courtelary, Moutier and Neuenstadt remained with Bern. The hope of an end to the conflict proved to be a fallacy at the time.
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