Switzerland

Martial Courtet, former Jura government minister: 'doing really well' six months after losing re-election

Herz — Switzerland Desk · 16 July 2026 at 20:20 · 30s summary · 2 min read

The essentials

Six months after leaving Switzerland's Jura canton government, Martial Courtet reports feeling 'really well.' The former minister, who oversaw Education, Culture and Sports for a decade, describes his transition as relief rather than void. He regains free weekends and time with his children—freedoms denied during ten years in office. These remarks were gathered by Romaine Morard, head of the Switzerland desk at Le Temps, as part of a series about former elected officials' career transitions.

Martial Courtet left the Jura canton government after a decade in office.
Six months later, he reports feeling 'really well.'
His ministerial role left him without a single free weekend for ten years.
He experiences relief rather than emptiness after not being re-elected.
He now enjoys free weekends and quality time with his children.

Martial Courtet, ehemaliger Jurassier Regierungsrat: Nach seiner Nichtwiederwahl «Mir geht es ausgezeichnet» — Münchner neueste Nachrichten: Handels-Zeitung, Alpine und Sport-Zeitung, Theater- und Kunst-Chronik. 20. März 1910. S. 1 und 2, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

What we know

Six months after losing re-election, Martial Courtet, a member of the Jura canton government for ten years, reports feeling 'really well,' according to Le Temps.

The former minister, responsible for Education, Culture and Sports portfolios, says he feels relief rather than emptiness at the end of his mandate. He attributes this to the tense nature of his recent election campaign, while still affirming that he loved serving as minister.

A decade without a single free weekend

Courtet describes ministerial work as 'terribly time-consuming': over ten years, he never had a single free weekend.

His Education, Culture and Sports portfolios generated numerous weekend commitments on Saturdays and Sundays. The direct-contact culture characteristic of Jura canton, he explains, added constant public pressure to this workload.

terribly time-consuming
— Martial Courtet, describing his ministerial role, Le Temps, July 16, 2026

What has changed since leaving government

Since stepping down from the cantonal executive, Courtet regains free weekends and better quality of life with his children—freedoms he lacked for ten years.

Context

This portrait is part of a series by Le Temps about career transitions of former cantonal or national councillors after major mandates. Five personalities were interviewed for this series, signed by Romaine Morard, head of the Switzerland desk at the Swiss-French daily newspaper. The interview with Martial Courtet was published July 16, 2026.

What remains uncertain

The Le Temps interview does not mention the professional or political projects Martial Courtet may be considering for his future career.

Who is Martial Courtet?

Martial Courtet was a member of the Jura canton government for ten years, overseeing the Education, Culture and Sports portfolios. He was not re-elected during his most recent election campaign.

Why does he feel relief rather than emptiness?

According to his statements to Le Temps, the difficult nature of his last election campaign explains this feeling, even though he says he loved serving in office.

What was most burdensome about his role?