Spain is urging the European Union to end the long-standing practice of changing clocks twice a year, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez saying the time has come to “ditch daylight saving time” once and for all.
In a video message shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Sánchez expressed that there’s no longer any valid reason to continue this outdated custom. “Frankly, I no longer see any reason for this,” he said, according to the German Press Agency (dpa).
The Spanish Prime Minister highlighted that a majority of EU citizens have consistently opposed the biannual time switch, citing studies showing that it does not actually save energy as originally intended. Instead, Sánchez emphasized, the practice disrupts human biological rhythms twice each year—impacting sleep, productivity, and overall well-being.
Spain plans to abolish the time change by 2026, marking an end to a system reintroduced in 1980 to make better use of daylight hours. Under the current rule, clocks will go back an hour on October 26, ending Central European Summer Time (CEST).
The European Commission conducted a survey in 2018 that found 84% of respondents were against the time changes. Despite this overwhelming opposition, the EU has been unable to reach a consensus on whether to permanently adopt summer time or winter time.
Former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker promised in 2018 to end the practice, but progress has stalled as member states remain divided on which time system to standardize.
After more than forty years, Spain’s stance could reignite a long-dormant debate across Europe—one that’s not just about clocks and energy, but about health, modern living, and a better balance between time and life.
Because, in the end, time should serve people—not the other way around.
