Spain has announced its intention to push the European Union to abolish the long-standing practice of switching between summer and winter time — a change that has been in place for over four decades.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a video statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, said that the biannual clock change has lost its purpose. “Frankly, I no longer see any reason for this,” he said, as reported by the German Press Agency (dpa).
Sánchez pointed out that repeated surveys across the EU have shown that the majority of citizens oppose the time switch. “It no longer saves energy,” he noted. “What it does instead is disrupt human biological rhythms twice a year.”
Spain is now planning to officially end the time change by 2026, urging the EU to do the same. Under the current system, clocks across Europe will be turned back an hour on the night of October 26, marking the end of Central European Summer Time (CEST).
The practice, which was reinstated in 1980, was originally introduced to make better use of daylight and conserve energy. Yet, in today’s context of advanced energy systems and changing work patterns, many experts and citizens view the change as outdated.
In 2018, the European Commission conducted a survey in which 84% of respondents voted against the time change. Then-President Jean-Claude Juncker pledged to abolish it, but EU countries have yet to reach a consensus on whether to stick permanently with summer time or standard time. As a result, the issue has remained unresolved for years.
As the debate reignites, Spain’s move could rekindle EU-wide discussions on aligning time policy with modern living standards, health priorities, and energy realities.
In the end, it’s not just about the clocks — it’s about people, health, and harmony with the natural rhythm of life.
