Elisabeth Baume-Schneider

Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (née Schneider; ; born 24 December 1963) is a Swiss politician who currently serves on the Federal Council for the Social Democratic Party since 2023. She was elected on 7 December 2022, as the first representative of the Canton of Jura.

Early life and education Elisabeth Baume-Schneider was born Elisabeth Schneider on 24 December 1963 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, the youngest of three children, to Jean Schneider (1922–2016), a farmer and local politician in Les Bois. In the 1980s, her parents lost their farm, Les Mûrs, due to the construction of a golf course.

She graduated from high school in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1983 and following she studied social sciences at the University of Neuchâtel. She obtained a licentiate in 1987. Between 1989 and 2002 she worked as a social worker in Franches-Montagnes and later for the cantonal administration of Jura. Between December 2002 in which she acted as the minister of education culture and sports. As such she was elected as the president of the strategic committee of the . She also instituted the bilingual high school exam in the canton. In November 2022, she announced her candidacy to the Federal Council of Switzerland.

Federal Councilor On the 7 December 2022, she was elected to the federal council, replacing the previous, retiring federal councillor for the SP, Simonetta Sommaruga.

Personal life Baume-Schneider married Pierre-André Baume (born 1966) with whom she has two children. They reside on a farm where she keeps Blacknose sheep.