27 September, 2013

By VIVA Team

Spain has been living on 'Berlin Time' since WWII... but changes may be afoot

A parliamentary commission in Spain debated on Thursday whether to switch the country back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) – a time zone it last adhered to before WWII.

The motion, which is non-binding, is expected to be approved, possibly sparking a chain of events that could set Spain back to GMT, reversing a decision General Franco made during WWII when the country followed Nazi Germany and ran by Central European Time.

Now, even the most geographically challenged individual can see the problem with that: Spain sits to the extreme west of the continent, and has been skipping ahead an hour for generations…

Experts even believe that this discrepancy is a reason why Spaniards notoriously dine, sleep, dance and work late – their body clocks are telling them to stay up, even though they are, according to their wristwatches at least, often burning the midnight oil.

It is felt that reverting back to GMT may help engender a more balanced approach to working, with ministers looking admiringly at the UK’s compact 9-5 day, which could aid the economy and lead to earlier meal times.

If Spain does jump back one hour, will Spaniards suddenly adopt a more British-centric outlook on life? Let’s not hold our breath. For all the (arguable) economic benefits it might bring, the fabled late living so beloved of Spaniards will certainly be hard to let go…