Hundreds of people applauded on Sunday as Puigdemont made his entrance accompanied by François Lachat, canton Jura’s first president and a leading figure in the canton.
Speaking at the “People’s Festival” in Delémont, Puigdemont thanked the gathering for “solidarity with Catalonia” and praised Swiss democracy, which he said “gives a voice to citizens”.
Puigdemont is currently living in exile in Belgium. He fled Spain in late 2017 to escape prosecution on charges of rebellion after Catalonian separatists launched a referendum in defiance of the Spanish government and then declared independence.
Puigdemont is the guest of the Jura Independentist Movement (MAJExternal link – link in French) which organizes the “People’s Festival”. Activists this year used the occasion to slam the attitude of canton Bern on Moutier, the small Swiss town that last year voted narrowly to secede from Bern and join canton Jura.
Appeals are still pending over allegations of fraud in the Moutier vote and separatists accuse Bern of trying to hinder secession. “Moutier will join Jura sooner or later,” chanted activists at the 71st “People’s Festival”.
The MAJ draws members from across political parties in canton Jura and has several thousand members and supporters, according to its website. It says it is fighting for “the independence of Jura across the whole if its historical territory”.
Direct trains to run from Zurich to Florence and Livorno
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The Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia will offer direct trains from Zurich to Florence and Livorno and vice versa from 2026.
Number of Swiss armed forces exceeds specified limit
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The Swiss armed forces had an effective headcount of around 147,000 as of March 1, 2024. This exceeds the upper limit of 140,000 specified in the army organisation by 5%.
More than 400,000 cross-border commuters now work in Switzerland
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More than half of all cross-border commuters were resident in France (around 57%). Large proportions also lived in Italy (23%) and Germany (around 16%).
Amherd and von der Leyen discuss ongoing Swiss-EU negotiations
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Swiss President Viola Amherd and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have met and talked about the ongoing negotiations between Bern and Brussels.
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One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.
Girls in female-dominated classes earn more later on
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At the age of 30, women from school classes with a 55% share of girls earn $350 more per year than women from classes with a 45% share of girls.
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Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.
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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.
Geneva authorities distance themselves from Puigdemont visit
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The head of Geneva’s cantonal government has distanced himself from the visit of ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont.
Puidgemont says Swiss model may offer alternative to independence
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Independence is not the only solution for solving the ongoing crisis between Catalonia and Spain, according to Carles Puigdemont.
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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.