Time change The clocks go forward one hour on Sunday night

SDA

20.3.2025 - 10:59

On Sunday night, the clocks go forward one hour to summer time. (archive picture)
On Sunday night, the clocks go forward one hour to summer time. (archive picture)
Keystone

At 02:00 on Sunday, the clocks in Switzerland and most European countries will be set forward by one hour to 03:00. The changeover to summer time begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

Keystone-SDA

Daylight Saving Time 2025 will last 30 weeks or 210 days. On October 26, the clocks will be set back to 02:00 and standard time at 03:00.

The possible abolition of the seasonal time change has become a political issue, particularly in Switzerland's neighboring countries. The European Union presented concrete plans, but the member states did not follow suit.

Critics of the time change complain of negative effects on health and animal welfare. Children and older people in particular would suffer from mini-jetlag. There would also be more traffic accidents due to fatigue. The changeover is also a thorn in the side of the agricultural sector, as the milk yield of cows is said to be lower.

Daylight saving time was first introduced in Europe in 1973 against the backdrop of the oil crisis. The time shift was intended to give businesses and households an extra hour of daylight with the aim of saving energy. To avoid becoming a time island, Switzerland followed suit in 1981.