Beat Jans: Humanist but Pragmatic

 Beat Jans, from a working-class family, trained as an agricultural expert, engineer at the Polytechnic, university professor and finally federal councilor. Who is Beat Jans really?

"I am all this and much more: I have a wonderful wife, I am a father, a son, I play the drums as a hobby, I love music, I am a football fan and a Basel native. In the Federal Council I represent urban Switzerland, but I also know rural Switzerland. I can still clean a stable. My vast experience helps me make decisions in the interests of the entire country and for the good of all."

Of all the public activities he has undertaken in his life, has he managed to cultivate something private, that he can say is only his?

"Since I have been a Federal Councillor, public interest in me has increased further. But like everyone else, I also have a private life, which gives me balance. Even though I have little time, it is very important to me to continue to devote myself to my passions: I take part in cultural events, occasionally go to the stadium, cook and spend time at home with my daughters and my wife. I also enjoy dinners with friends and walks with our dog."

In an interview she said that she always has her mother, of humble origins, before her eyes when she speaks. “If she tells me she didn’t understand, then I did something wrong.” Is he often scolded?

"Yes, I am often criticized, but it doesn't bother me. It's part of my job and part of the game. And asylum policy is particularly controversial, not only in Switzerland. But I also get a lot of positive feedback from the population, which makes me very happy. Many of the measures we took last year have positive effects and are a great incentive for my work at DFGP and in the Federal Council."

A “peasant” who comes from a large urban center: an irresolvable contradiction or the synthesis of what Switzerland is?

"It is the synthesis of Switzerland. From an agricultural state we have become a modern urban center for research, industry and services – without forgetting or completely renouncing our roots and our history. I embody the rural and urban worlds, which are not at all contradictory. Researchers also have to eat."

You were born and raised on the border between France and Germany. What is your relationship with those on the other side?

"Exchanges at the crossroads of three states have always been intense, and for those who live in Basel it is normal to cross national borders. In my previous function as President of the State Council, I often met with official representatives of Baden-Württemberg and Alsace. Everyday life in the Basel region takes place across borders, regardless of the country in which you live."

Is the border a limitation or an opportunity?

"Since Switzerland has been part of the Schengen Area, the border has been little perceived in Basel. The close ties with the EU and our neighbouring countries are an opportunity for Basel and Switzerland as a whole. For this reason, the Federal Council is committed to stabilising and developing our relations with the EU."

With the exception of Italian speakers, fewer and fewer Swiss speak other national languages, so they use English to communicate with each other. Does it worry you?

"Language is closely connected to culture. Those who learn another language also learn new music, new customs, new literature and a new way of thinking. When two Swiss speak to each other in English, they lose the opportunity to understand each other in the culture of their own national language region. Something is certainly lost. After all, Switzerland's cohesion is based on the desire to belong together, even beyond language barriers."

The Basel football team plays with the red and blue colours, those of the Ticino flag. What other similarities do the two geographical extremes of the Confederation have?

"The two half-cantons of Basel and Ticino, being border cantons, offer many jobs to cross-border commuters and are closely connected to neighboring countries. They are both peripheral regions and both have the impression of being sometimes overlooked by the rest of Switzerland. It is therefore a good thing that there are currently two people in the Federal Council, Ignazio Cassis and myself, who represent the specific point of view of this Switzerland."

What are the differences?

"In Ticino, ice hockey, food and wine are better. From a political point of view, I have the impression that in Basel, more importance is given to the opportunities offered by the opening to Europe. Basel has benefited enormously from the good relations with neighboring countries, about which many Ticinese are apparently more critical. I have the impression that in Ticino the fear of wage dumping is stronger. Therefore, it is even more important to strengthen wage protection." 

You have described your approach to immigration as “humanist but pragmatic,” drawing criticism from both the right and the left. Is asylum policy really as chaotic as it is portrayed to be?

"For many months now, we have been seeing a reduction in the number of asylum applications. This year, we are therefore closing several federal asylum centres. The number of pending cases is decreasing, and with some delay, this will also result in a tangible relief for the cantons and municipalities. Despite the challenges they face, the Confederation, the cantons and the municipalities are in control of the situation. To be better prepared for future crises, we are working together on the new global asylum strategy. In the federal asylum centres, we have invested in the safety and care of asylum seekers, and at the same time we are enforcing the return of people who do not have the right to reside in Switzerland." 

He said he was in favor of outsourcing asylum procedures outside the Confederation. On the model of Italy and Great Britain or with other methods?

"As I said, we are examining all possibilities. It is a mandate from Parliament. I do not rule out any possibility a priori, provided that it respects human rights. The example of Italy and Great Britain shows, however, that such projects are difficult to implement from a legal and practical point of view."

Switzerland and its economy need skilled labor, hence the free movement of people; the population and unions fear wage dumping and labor substitution. How can this dilemma be resolved?

"This issue has occupied us since the first vote on the free movement of persons. Then as now, the answer was to strengthen wage protection in Switzerland. The agreement reached by the unions and employers' associations on 13 measures is therefore very important to this end. The Federal Council has also decided on another measure. After all, it is also clear to the Federal Council that Switzerland wants to combat wage dumping."

You stated in a speech to the Publishers Association that the media are essential for the functioning of democracy, but good journalism costs money. In your opinion, should politics intervene more to help them?

"On 30 April 2025, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on related rights, according to which large online service providers must in future pay remuneration to media companies for the use of excerpts from publications (snippets). This is compensation for a journalistic service and not a subsidy. The package of measures to promote the media, however, was rejected in a popular vote three years ago. It is therefore doubtful whether the population wants additional subsidies to be paid to the media. However, it is clear that good, free and independent media are of great importance for democracy and the cohesion of Switzerland."