Elisabeth Baume-Schneider
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP/JU) has been a federal councillor since 2023. Since 2024 she heads the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA). Prior to that, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider headed the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP).
Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider was born in 1963 and grew up in Les Bois in the canton of Jura. After completing upper-secondary education she studied social sciences, economics and politics at the University of Neuchâtel.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider worked in the field of social welfare and 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 has also been an active member of various associations and foundations. Elisabeth Baume-Schneider is married and has two adult children.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider held various positions in 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 until 2015 and was president of the Cantonal Council in 2006, 2008 and 2012. She was elected to the Council of States at the end of 2019, where she represented the canton of Jura.
Election to the Federal Council
The United Federal Assembly elected Elisabeth Baume-Schneider to the Federal Council on 7 December 2022. In 2023 she headed the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP). She took over as head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) in January 2024.
The Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA)
The FDHA deals with a wide range of issues, from social insurance, the health system and statistics to gender equality, culture and meteorology. Current major topics for the FDHA are old age pensions and health.
FDHA facts and figures
- Staff (full-time positions, 2024): 2,809
- 2024 expenses: CHF 20.98 billion