He was educated at the humanistic high school in Neuchâtel and then studied the law in Munich and Heidelberg.

In 1870 he was elected inquisitor for western Switzerland by the federal court.

He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 7 December 1872 with 37 years.

He was a key player in the founding of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) with the Treaty of Bern in 1874.

[1] Borel became the first directory of the UPU and therefore resigned from his job as a federal councillor and handed over office on 31 December 1875 to his successor.