The last institutional obstacle to the transfer of Moutier to the canton of the Jura is now lifted. No optional referendum against the decree approved last March by the federal chambers was filed at the end of the deadline which was expired on Thursday. The information was confirmed to us this Friday morning by the federal Chancellery in Bern. The launch of a referendum would have required the harvest of 50,000 signatures valid in a deadline of 100 days after the publication of the text in the Official Journal. The federal decree on the transfer of Moutier thus enters into force and nothing is institutionally opposed to the arrival of the provost city in the canton of the Jura on January 1.
The text had been approved in March in March unanimously, 45 votes, by the Council of States and by 174 votes against 14 and 2 abstentions by the National Council during the final votes. The absence of a referendum does not constitute a surprise but de facto deletes the last obstacle to the change of cantonal belonging of Moutier.
Financial equalization still pending
The mayor of the provost city evokes “additional relief”, even if he did not expect the launch of a referendum. “Mourning – if there should be one – is done and the ball is now in our camp,” said Marcel Winistoerfer. For their part, the Jura authorities say they are “satisfied with the outcome of the federal procedure”. The Cantonal Chancellor, Jean-Baptiste Maître, did not expect a referendum to be launched either.
There remains the question of federal financial equalization to decide. The National Council commission accepted last April by 11 votes against 10 and 1 abstention the principle of granting the canton of Jura 13 million francs per year between 2027 and 2031. The sum would be drawn from the federal funds and would allow to compensate for the shortfall resulting from the arrival of Moutier. The proposal, supported by the Federal Council, must still be subject to the plenum of the National Council as well as to the Council of States. /FCO
