Spain will have to change time again between October 26 and 27. As is usually the case, on the last weekend of this month our country will change time and switch to winter time. It Official State Gazette confirmed that the two changes per year will continue to be made at least until 2026. From there, it remains to be seen what happens because there are more and more voices disagreeing with the time change and even the European Union talked about it.
Summer in Spain is entering its final stretch and this September 22nd we will say goodbye to the summer season and hello to autumn. We will have to wait another month for the traditional time change that will take place in the early hours of October 26th and 27th, when three hours will become two hours. On that day, Spain will officially switch to winter time until March 30th, when the clock will return to traditional summer time.
These two time changes have taken place in Spain since 1974 with the aim of saving energy and being able to adjust the time working day during the day, they will continue to be produced at least until 2026, as stipulated in the Official State Gazette inside Royal Decree 236/2002. From this date onwards, we will have to see what happens regarding the time change, as it seems that Spain is trying to prevent this from happening.
This standard also speaks about it. “In its report of March 20, 2019, the Commission of Experts concluded, on the one hand, that it was not appropriate to proceed with a hasty change of time zones until there was a shared consensus and practical dissemination to our citizens of the risks and opportunities that this entails,” indicates the text published by the BOE.
Time change called into question
The controversy surrounding the time change has been on the table for years. European Union and even from Brussels, a consultation took place, in which 4.5 million people participated and in which 90% voted not to change the time. European Parliament He ignored these results and gave freedom to member countries to make whatever decision they deemed appropriate. For example, Ukraine approved a few months ago the abolition of the time change, so October 27 will be the last time it will apply this practice.
As for Spain, in recent years there has been an increase in skepticism about the time change and therefore the IEC made a request last 2019. If the Pedro Sanchez With Tezanos in charge, this is somewhat useful, the results showed that 62% of Spaniards wanted to end the time change and 65% preferred to stay on summer time. This would be one more reason for debate, since it would be necessary to opt for one of the two schedules and this is rather a reason for debate. So, initially, Spain will have to live with its two time changes until 2026… and what will happen after that is unknown.
Spain time zone
Beyond the time change, another cause for controversy in Spain is the famous time zone in which we find ourselves in our country and it really does not suit us. Since 1940, Spain has been on Central European Time, so it is one hour ahead of the sun in winter and two in summer. The Spanish territory shares time with countries such as France, Germany, Italy and the rest of Central Europe when, due to its geographical location, it should actually be in the time zone of the United Kingdom or Portugal.
This is due to Francisco Franco, who made this decision for “the convenience of having the national time in line with that of other European countries.” Thus, since the early morning of March 16, 1940, when eleven o’clock at night became midnight, Spain has been in a time zone that does not correspond to it. In reality, you will have to be on Western time and live in the time of the Canary Islands, Portugal or the United Kingdom.
