The Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP)

The Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) deals with issues such as asylum, migration and internal security. The department has been headed by Elisabeth Baume-Schneider since January 2023.

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. She took over as head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) in January 2023.