Published on 8 July 2025
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider
Head of the FDJP from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider was born in 1963 and grew up in Les Bois in the Franches-Montagnes region of the canton of Jura. She attended secondary school in La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE) leaving with a baccalaureate and went on to study social sciences, economics and politics at the University of Neuchâtel.
Until 2001, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider worked as a social support worker with social services in her region and the canton of Jura, where her role included social assistance (individual support and social assistance budget), child protection and integration measures. After a term as a member of the Jura cantonal government, she was director of the Faculty of Social Work and Occupational Therapy (HETSL) in Lausanne (part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland). She also chaired the Federal Film Commission from 2012 to 2016. As someone who is committed to public service, she was actively involved in various associations and foundations in the cultural, social, educational, active travel and environmental fields prior to assuming office in the Federal Council.
She is married with two adult children.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider held various roles within the Jura section of the Social Democratic Party (SP). She was a member of the cantonal parliament from 1995 to 2002 and served as its president in 2000. Following her election to the Jura cantonal government in 2003, she headed the Education, Culture and Sports Department for 13 years. She was president of the Jura Cantonal Council in 2006, 2008 and 2012. From 2019 to 2022, she represented the canton of Jura in the Council of States.
The United Federal Assembly elected Elisabeth Baume-Schneider to the Federal Council on 7 December 2022.