A good three years ago, the voters of the municipality of Moutier voted in favor of moving to the canton of Jura. The cantons of Bern and Jura then drew up an intercantonal agreement, a so-called concordat. This agreement is, among other things, the subject of the upcoming cantonal vote on September 22nd.
In addition to the concordat on the transfer of the municipality of Moutier from the canton of Bern to the canton of Jura, there is another proposal: whether the transfer of the municipality of Moutier should also be anchored in the cantonal constitution. Article 84 of the cantonal constitution mentions the three administrative districts of the Bernese Jura and thus also the administrative district of Moutier. If the municipality of Moutier transfers to the canton of Jura, it is not appropriate for an administrative district of the canton of Bern to continue to bear the name “Moutier”. The cantonal constitution should therefore be amended, according to the canton of Bern. This constitutional amendment can come into force regardless of whether the municipality of Moutier remains in the canton of Bern or transfers to the canton of Jura.
The second proposal, as already mentioned above, concerns the contract between the cantons of Bern and Jura, i.e. the concordat. This contract regulates the financial issues between the two cantons and ensures, among other things, that public services and political rights continue seamlessly. The canton of Bern is of the opinion that the concordat enables the two cantons and the citizens of Moutier to switch under the best conditions, according to the canton of Bern’s website.
The unresolved Jura question
Opponents of the proposal are of the opinion that the Jura question has not been conclusively resolved with this proposal. This means that the cantonal borders between Bern and Jura have not yet been definitively regulated. The canton of Bern emphasizes that the concordat puts an end to the Jura question. It stipulates that the two cantons leave their territorial disputes behind and respect the common cantonal border, the canton of Bern’s website states.
The Bernese government and parliament, i.e. the Grand Council, recommend accepting both proposals.
