Thousands of separatists protest Moutier vote court decision
The coffin-bearing pro-Jura separatist procession passed without disturbances.
Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
Several thousand protesters held a mock funeral in the Swiss town of Moutier, saying a court decision to overturn a contentious vote on switching cantons had “buried democracy”.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Moutier sits close to the border of cantons Bern and Jura and is administered by Bern. A vote in June 2017 appeared to allow Moutier to switch allegiance to Jura, but last year it was overruled by a court that found evidence of voting irregularities. An appeal against that decision to the Bern Administrative Court was turned down on Thursday.
In response to the latest verdict, hundreds of pro-Jura separatists dressed in black to stage a mock funeral procession from the town’s railway station to the town hall on Friday. The demonstration included people bearing a coffin.
There were no disturbances or arrests according to the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA, which estimates a protest of between 3,000 to 4,000 people.
French-speaking Jura became the 26th Swiss canton in 1979 when a separatist movement won a vote to secede from the mainly German-speaking canton Bern. While not on the same scale as separatist movements in other countries, the Jura independence campaign caused waves in the normally staid Swiss political scene.
The Moutier vote two years’ ago showed that the decades-old political issue is still alive in towns and villages close to the border.
More
More
Why Moutier matters more than Brexit
This content was published on
The democratic potential of public votes depends on the legal design and political context as shown in two examples in Britain and Switzerland.
Moderate price growth expected for Swiss real estate market
This content was published on
Swiss property prices rose modestly in 2024, according to a quarterly barometer - a trend that is expected to remain this year.
Romeo Lacher steps down at Julius Bär and Swiss National Bank
This content was published on
Romeo Lacher will not stand for re-election as Julius Bär chair and will also step down from his role at the Swiss central bank this year.
Alpiq CEO sees security of supply at risk without EU treaty
This content was published on
The security of Switzerland’s future electricity supply is at risk unless a deal with the European Union can be concluded, warns a Swiss energy company boss.
This content was published on
Despite selling more than ten million purely battery-powered vehicles worldwide last year, growth in the e-car market is slowing.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Court supports decision to declare Moutier vote invalid
This content was published on
The Bern administrative court has backed a decision to cancel the results of a separatist vote by the Swiss town of Moutier.
This content was published on
The Swiss town of Moutier has confirmed that it will appeal a decision to annul the result of a vote on which canton it should belong to.
This content was published on
Several hundred people have joined a silent, candlelit protest in the town of Moutier after a vote to switch cantons was on Monday declared invalid.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.