Beat Jans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beat Jans
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Swiss Federal Councillor | |
| Assumed office 1 January 2024 |
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| Department | Justice and Police (2024–present) |
| Preceded by | Alain Berset |
| President of Executive Council of Basel-Stadt | |
| In office 1 July 2021 – 14 December 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Elisabeth Ackermann |
| Succeeded by | Lukas Engelberger |
| Member of the National Council | |
| In office 31 May 2010 – 17 December 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Rudolf Rechsteiner |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Beat Jans
12 July 1964 Basel, Switzerland |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouses |
Tracy Renee Glass
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Basel, Switzerland |
| Alma mater | ETH Zurich (Diploma) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Beat Jans (born 12 July 1964) is a Swiss scientist and politician. He is a member of the Federal Council, which is like the government of Switzerland. He was chosen in 2023 and started his job on 1 January 2024.
Beat Jans is part of the Social Democratic Party. Before joining the Federal Council, he was a member of the National Council from 2010 to 2020. He also led the government of Basel-Stadt (a Swiss canton) from 2021 to 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Beat Jans was born in Basel, Switzerland, on 12 July 1964. His father, Anton Jans, was a metalworker. His mother, Maria Jans, worked as a sales associate.
He grew up in Riehen in a working-class family. His mother moved to Switzerland from Germany after World War II.
Learning About Farming and Environment
In 1985, Beat Jans finished his training to become a farmer. He then studied at the Technical College for Tropical Agriculture. He graduated from there in 1987 as an agricultural technician.
Later, in 1994, he studied Environmental Sciences. He earned his degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.
Career and Public Service
From 1987 to 1989, Beat Jans worked on development projects. These projects were with a Swiss organization called Helvetas. He worked in countries like Paraguay and Haiti.
He was also on the board of Pro Natura from 2000 to 2010. Pro Natura is an organization that works to protect nature in Switzerland. He left this role when he became a member of the National Council.
Political Journey
Beat Jans joined the Social Democratic Party (SP) in 1998. In 2001, he became a member of the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt. This is like the local parliament for the Basel area.
While in the Grand Council, he was part of the Commission of Economics and Taxes. He stayed in the Grand Council even after joining the National Council in 2010. He left the Grand Council in 2011.
Serving in the National Council
Beat Jans was elected to the National Council in 2010. He took over from Ruedi Rechsteiner. The National Council is one of the two parts of the Swiss parliament.
He was re-elected to the National Council in 2011, 2015, and 2019. In the National Council, he also served on the Commission of Economics and Taxes.
In 2015, he became the vice-president of the Social Democratic Party. He stepped down from this role later that year.
Leading Basel-Stadt
On 25 October 2020, Beat Jans was elected to the Executive Council of Basel-Stadt. This is the main governing body for the Basel-Stadt canton. In November 2020, he became its president.
He resigned from the National Council in December 2020 to focus on his new role. Sarah Wyss took his place in the National Council.
Becoming a Federal Councillor
In 2023, Beat Jans became a candidate for the Federal Council. This is the highest governing body in Switzerland. He aimed to take the place of Alain Berset.
The election for the Federal Council happened on 13 December 2023. Beat Jans and Jon Pult were the official candidates from the Social Democratic Party. It took three rounds of voting to decide who would win.
Beat Jans was elected to the Federal Council in the third round. He started his new job on 1 January 2024.
Political Views
During his time leading the Socialist Party in Basel-Stadt, Beat Jans was known for bringing people together. However, some political opponents see his views as very left-wing.
He supported a public vote in November 2020 about responsible multinational companies. As a federal councillor, he faced criticism for a plan to keep data for longer periods. Some people worried this could lead to too much surveillance without proper legal reasons.
Personal Life
On 11 June 2004, Beat Jans married Tracy Renee Glass. She was born in 1972 in Miami, Florida, USA. Tracy is a biostatistician, which means she uses statistics to study biology and health.
They met while hiking in Hawaii. They had a long-distance relationship for two years. Then, Tracy moved to Basel to work at Novartis, a large medicine company. She now works as a team leader at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.
Beat and Tracy have two daughters. His wife and children are citizens of both Switzerland and the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Beat Jans para niños
