23
Oct
2025
Watch
Discontinuing seasonal time change (debate)
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. For years, Brussels has been talking about abolishing the time change, and nothing happens. People have said by an overwhelming majority: We want the end of this nonsense. The so-called European Parliament voted in 2019 in one of its few bright moments for the abolition of the time change, and yet we continue to turn the clock twice a year. Why? The Commission believes that because the Council is blocking the EU and it is not possible to agree on whether there should be a permanent summer or winter time. ‘Seriously?’ can only be asked here. Once again, it is clear how incapable this European Union is of action. The will of the citizens is ignored, decisions are delayed, responsibility is not assumed, but pushed back and forth. The EU fails on such a profane topic as the time change and hides behind excuses. The fact is: The people of Europe no longer want a pointless time change, and if the EU does not make it, then the nation states must finally act. Politics must solve problems, politics must not manage problems. So, what are we waiting for? To the next time change? The Commissioner gave me a hopeful vote today. Your words were very important indeed. I'm glad you put it so clearly. I thank you for this, and we hope that we will soon be living in a time together without having to turn times back and forth once or twice a year.