Spain will have to change the time clock again between October 26 and 27. As is usually the case, on the last weekend of this month there will be a time change in our country and it will enter winter time. He Official State Gazette has confirmed that the two changes per year will continue to be made at least until 2026. From there we will have to see what happens since there are more and more voices that disagree with the time change and even the European Union has spoken about it.
Summer in Spain is entering its final stretch and this September 22 we will say goodbye to the summer season and say 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 26 to 27, when three o’clock will become two o’clock. That day, Spain will officially enter winter time until March 30, the date on which the clock will change back to traditional summer time.
These two time changes that have occurred in Spain since 1974 with the aim of saving energy and being able to adjust the work day at daylight hours, they will continue to be produced at least until 2026, as stipulated by the Official State Gazette in it Royal Decree 236/2002. From this date onwards we will have to see what happens with respect to the time change since it seems that Spain is moving towards stopping this from happening.
This norm also speaks about this. «In its report, dated March 20, 2019, the Commission of experts concluded, on the one hand, that it was not advisable to produce any hasty change in time zones as long as there was no shared consensus and practical dissemination to our citizens of the risks and opportunities that it entails,” says the text published by the BOE.
The time change called into question
The controversy with the time change has been on the table for years. European Union and even from Brussels, a consultation was held in which 4.5 million people participated and in which 90% voted not to change the time. He European Parliament It ignored these results and gave freedom to the member countries to make the decision they saw fit. For example, Ukraine approved a few months ago to eliminate the time change so October 27 will be the last time they do this practice.
A person touches a clock on a blue background.
As far as Spain is concerned, in recent years skeptics regarding the time change have increased and therefore the CIS made a query last 2019. If the Pedro Sanchez With Tezanos in charge it is of some use, the results showed that 62% of Spaniards wanted to end the time change and 65% preferred to stay in daylight saving time. This would be another reason to debate, since it would be necessary to opt for one of the two schedules and that is more of a reason for debate. So at first Spain will have to be with its two time changes until 2026… and what happens after is unknown.
The time zone of Spain
Beyond the time change, another reason for controversy in Spain is the famous time zone in which we are in our country and it really does not correspond to 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 the central European countries when due to 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 that the national time is in accordance with those of other European countries.” So since the early morning of March 16, 1940, when eleven at night became twelve, Spain has been in a time zone that does not correspond to it. In reality you would have to be on Western time and live on Canary Islands, Portugal or United Kingdom time.
