The town council on Wednesday said it would take the case to the cantonal administrative court and possibly also the Swiss Supreme court at a later stage.
It’s expected to take about two years before the cantonal judges announce their verdict – putting on hold the fate of Moutier.
Last year, citizens voted to switch allegiance from mainly German-speaking canton Bern to French-speaking Jura. The vote saw an unusually high turnout of 88% that resulted in a decision to come under the umbrella of Jura.
However, the authorities were called in to investigate allegations of electoral tourism – claims that some people had registered themselves as eligible voters in Moutier without actually residing there.
The controversy is the latest twist in a long-running territorial dispute in Switzerland. French-speaking Jura became the 26th Swiss canton in 1979 when a separatist movement won a vote to secede from German-speaking canton Bern. Since then, the question has been raised in some towns and villages along the border about which canton they would like to be part of.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Anti-Muslim sentiment is everywhere, according to Swiss study
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This is the conclusion of the first qualitative baseline study published on Thursday by the Swiss Center for Islam and Society.
UN and Switzerland against forced displacement of Palestinians
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The UN and the Swiss government are opposed to any forced displacement of Palestinians, as proposed by US President Donald Trump.
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Moutier vote judged an embarrassment for Swiss democracy
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“Shockwave”, “political earthquake”, “mess”: the Swiss newspapers react to the thwarted attempt by the town of Moutier to change cantons.
Justice minister calls for ‘crisis summit’ on disputed Moutier vote
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Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga has called for the governments of Bern and Jura to 'analyse' the dispute over a 2017 secession vote.
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A vote in Moutier, which last year saw the Swiss town switch allegiance from canton Bern to canton Jura, has been declared void.
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Jura says appeals are being handled too slowly after last year’s vote by the people of Moutier to leave canton Bern and join canton Jura.
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