Élisabeth Baume-Schneider
MinistroFederal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA)
SP/PS (Social Democratic Party of Switzerland) · Svizzera
Profilo redatto in inglese
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (born 21 December 1963 in Saint-Imier, originally from Les Breuleux, raised in Les Bois, canton of Jura) is a Swiss Social Democratic politician and member of the Federal Council. She is the first person from the canton of Jura ever elected to the Federal Council, chosen by the United Federal Assembly on 7 December 2022 to succeed Simonetta Sommaruga, defeating party favourite Eva Herzog in the third round (123 votes to 116). Trained as a social worker, she earned a licentiate in economic and social sciences from the University of Neuchâtel (1987) and worked in social and medico-social services in the Franches-Montagnes and the canton of Jura until 2001, later directing the School of Social Work and Health (HETSL) in Lausanne. She served in the Jura cantonal parliament (1995–2002, president 2000) and in the Jura cantonal government (2002–2015), heading the Department of Education, Culture and Sport. She represented Jura in the Council of States from 2019 to 2022. In the Federal Council she headed the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP/DFJP) during 2023, then took over the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA/DFI) on 1 January 2024.
Storia elettorale
Swiss Federal Council re-election (full renewal)
Member of the Federal Council (re-election)2023-12-13
Re-elected
151 votes
Re-elected to the Federal Council with 151 votes during the full renewal following the 2023 federal elections.
Swiss Federal Council election
Member of the Federal Council (succeeding Simonetta Sommaruga)2022-12-07
Elected (3rd round)
123 votes (3rd round)
contro Eva Herzog (SP, 116 votes); Daniel Jositsch (SP, 6 votes)
On the official SP ticket alongside Eva Herzog. Led the first round (96 votes vs 83) to general surprise; in the third round elected by 123 votes to 116 for Herzog. First Federal Councillor from the canton of Jura.
Federal election (Council of States), canton of Jura
Member of the Council of States for Jura2019-10-20
Elected
8,895 votes (best result in the canton)
contro Charles Juillard (PDC/Le Centre), 7,630 votes
Returned to politics and won a Council of States seat with the canton's best result, ahead of Charles Juillard.
Jura cantonal government election
Member of the Jura cantonal government (Conseil d'État)2002
Elected
Elected to the Jura cantonal executive, taking office in 2002/2003; re-elected in 2006 and 2010. Did not stand again in 2015.
Jura cantonal parliament election
Member of the Parliament of the Canton of Jura1995
Elected
Elected to the Jura cantonal parliament for the Socialist Party (after serving earlier as a substitute deputy from age 30). Re-elected in 1998; presided over the chamber in 2000.
Percorso professionale
Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA/DFI)
1 gen 2024Swiss Federal Council
Took over the Department of Home Affairs from Alain Berset on 1 January 2024, with responsibility for social insurance (AHV/AVS, occupational pensions), health and health insurance, culture, gender equality, statistics and meteorology.
Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP/DFJP)
1 gen 2023 – 31 dic 2023Swiss Federal Council
Headed the Justice and Police department during her first year on the Federal Council, with responsibility for asylum and migration policy among others.
Member of the Council of States for the canton of Jura
dic 2019 – dic 2022Swiss Federal Assembly (Council of States)
Represented Jura in the upper house. Chaired the Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy (CEATE) from late 2021; member of the Committee for Science, Education and Culture (CSEC) and the Control Committee (CdG). Second Vice-President of the Council of States (2021–2022).
Director
2016 – 2020School of Social Work and Health (HETSL), Lausanne
Directed the HETSL (Haute École de travail social et de la santé) in Lausanne. Official FDHA biography gives the period as 2016–2020; some press sources cite 2015–2019.
President of the Federal Film Commission
2012 – 2016Swiss Confederation (Federal Film Commission)
Served as President of the Federal Film Commission.
Fonte:edi.admin.chCantonal government minister, Head of the Department of Education, Culture and Sport
2002 – 2015Government of the Canton of Jura
Member of the Jura cantonal executive for thirteen years; directed education, culture and sport policy. President of the cantonal government in 2006, 2008 and 2012. President of the Conference of Public Education Ministers of Latin Switzerland (2009–2013).
Social worker (assistante sociale)
2000 – 2001Services sociaux régionaux du canton du Jura
Continued social work within the regional social services of the canton of Jura until entering full-time cantonal government.
Fonte:fr.wikipedia.orgSocial worker (assistante sociale), including guardianship/curatorship mandates
1989 – 2000Service social et médico-social des Franches-Montagnes
Social and medico-social work focused on social assistance, child protection and integration measures; held curatorship (curatrice) mandates.
Social worker (assistante sociale)
1988 – 1988Association neuchâteloise pour le bien des aveugles
First professional position as a social worker after graduating from the University of Neuchâtel.
Fonte:fr.wikipedia.org
Formazione
École de commerce de La Chaux-de-Fonds (Neuchâtel)
until 1983Business baccalaureate / maturité (maturité commerciale) · Commerce / business
Completed her business baccalaureate (maturité) at the commercial school of La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1983.
University of Neuchâtel
1983–1987Licentiate (licence) · Economic and social sciences
Earned a licentiate in economic and social sciences in 1987; this trained her for her subsequent career as a social worker. (No verified record found of separate translation/interpreting studies.)
Principali atti legislativi
Asylum practice for Afghan women and girls (SEM/FDJP)
Asylum / migration2023
From July 2023, under Baume-Schneider's FDJP, the State Secretariat for Migration adopted a practice allowing Afghan women and girls to obtain refugee status given the systematic persecution of women under the Taliban. The measure drew strong criticism from the SVP/UDC and parts of the PLR/FDP.
Rilevanza: Notable asylum-policy decision during her year at Justice and Police; central to right-wing criticism of her migration record.
13th AHV/AVS pension (popular initiative "For a better life in old age")
Old-age insurance / social security2024
Popular initiative for a 13th annual AHV/AVS old-age pension payment, accepted by 58.2% of voters on 3 March 2024. As Home Affairs minister, Baume-Schneider defended the Federal Council's recommendation to reject the initiative, then led its implementation, including the politically contested question of financing (e.g. via VAT and/or wage contributions).
Rilevanza: First successful expansion of AHV/AVS benefits via popular initiative; required Baume-Schneider's department to design financing and implementation against her own party's campaign position.
BVG/LPP occupational pension (2nd pillar) reform
Occupational pensions / social security2024
Reform of the second-pillar occupational pension system (BVG/LPP), rejected by voters (about 67% no) on 22 September 2024. Baume-Schneider, as Home Affairs minister, defended the reform supported by the Federal Council and Parliament.
Rilevanza: Clear defeat of the government-backed pension reform; a significant setback for her department in 2024.
Fonte:tdg.chCost-brake initiative (initiative pour un frein aux coûts de la santé)
Health insurance / health policy2024
Le Centre's popular initiative for a brake on health-care costs, rejected by voters on 9 June 2024. The Federal Council's counter-project foresees four-yearly cost-control objectives in mandatory health insurance, with first objectives from 2026.
Rilevanza: Part of the same June 2024 health-policy vote; Baume-Schneider defended the government counter-project and signalled continued action on costs and premiums.
Fonte:rts.chEFAS — Uniform financing of health-care services (amendment to the Health Insurance Act)
Health insurance / health-care financing2024
Reform establishing uniform financing of outpatient and inpatient care (and later long-term care) by insurers and cantons, approved by 53.3% of voters on 24 November 2024 after a referendum led by the VPOD/SSP union ("Stop EFAS"). Baume-Schneider championed the reform as Health minister.
Rilevanza: Largest structural reform of Swiss health-care financing in decades; a notable ballot-box success for Baume-Schneider, especially coming after the rejected pension reform.
Premium relief initiative ("Maximum 10% du revenu pour les primes d'assurance-maladie")
Health insurance / health policy2024
SP/PS popular initiative to cap health-insurance premiums at 10% of disposable income, rejected by 55.5% of voters on 9 June 2024. Baume-Schneider defended the Federal Council and Parliament's counter-project and recommendation to reject.
Rilevanza: Major federal vote on health-insurance affordability; defeat for her own party's flagship initiative while she defended the government line as Health minister.