France to Turn Clocks Back Amid Debate Over Daylight Saving Time

The bi-annual time change persists despite widespread support for its abolition and past EU efforts to end the practice.

On October 27, 2024, France will revert to standard time, gaining an extra hour of sleep but losing evening daylight.
The time change was originally introduced in 1976 to conserve energy following the 1973 oil crisis.
Despite its original intent, modern energy savings from the time change are considered negligible due to advancements in lighting technology.
A 2019 European Parliament vote supported abolishing the time change by 2021, but implementation stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical issues.
Surveys show a majority of French citizens favor ending the time change, with many preferring to remain on daylight saving time permanently.