Most Belgians want to scrap daylight savings time

According to a poll carried out by the federal government over the summer, 83% of people living in Belgium are behind the EU directive to scrap daylight savings time by 2021. The clocks go back in all European Union countries this Sunday at 3.00.

EU authorities decided last year to scrap the system of changing the clocks twice a year and are allowing member states to decide if they wanted to use permanent summertime or permananet wintertime. Countries have until next April to make the decision.

The poll among 2,000 Belgians was carried out in August. Participants were given an explanation about the advantages and disadvantages of daylight savings time, as well as a permanent summertime or wintertime. They then answered 20 questions.

According to the poll, exactly half of Belgian residents prefer to keep the wintertime – meaning set the clocks back in the autumn and leave them there. Some 45% prefer summertime. The remaining 5% had no preference.

About 80%, however, thought that Belgium should have the same system as neighbouring countries Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands. This would avoid any problems related to travel and business.

Acting prime minister Charles Michel announced that Belgium should indeed be in sync with at least the Netherlands and Luxembourg so that the Benelux operates on the same time system. The opinion poll would be one of the elements in Belgium’s decision-making process regarding daylight savings, he said.

Photo: Getty Images