Every year, twice a year, the same ritual recurs. France's clocks go forward or backward to change betweenwinter andsummer time. A habit that annoys many people. What's more, this system is being called into question: since 2018, the European Commission has been discussing, trying to convince all EU states to abolish the practice. So far, without success.
Time change in 2026: when do we switch to standard time?
Are the days growing shorter and do the nights feel longer? There’s no doubt winter time is fast approaching, and it will soon be time to adjust the clock once more. We’ll switch to standard time in the night from Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, October 25, 2026. That means an extra hour of sleep, and we’ll have to set our clocks back by one hour. [Read more]
This weekend, March 29 and 30, 2025, we'll be changing time: on the night of Saturday to Sunday, we'll be sleeping an hour less, to gain an extra hour of sunshine. Until next October. But why was this system introduced in the first place?
The time change was first imposed in 1916, to save coal, which was then an important and much-used resource. Summer time was abandoned in 1944. One year later, a decree set legal time in France at UTC+1, i.e. one hour ahead of the Greenwich meridian. Winter time thus became the norm in France.
Once again, economic necessity led the French government to reintroduce daylight saving time. In 1973, the oil crisis shook the world economy. In 1975, to help save energy, notably by reducing the use of electricity, summer time was introduced.
By moving the clocks forward two hours in relation to the sun, the government aims to lengthen the day, and therefore reduce the amount of time spent using lighting in the evening. This measure was intended to be temporary, but was never abandoned.
Time change in 2026: when do we switch to standard time?
