Yvette Easterman (SVP) Reflections on the End of Time Change

Tonight it’s time again – and perhaps, perhaps, the clocks will advance an hour for the last time. “I haven’t lost hope yet!” Says National SVP Counsellor, Yvette Easterman. For years she had been fighting to abolish daylight saving time, by now her hour should have come.

Because of European Union Already decided in 2019 that member states can abolish daylight saving time. Easterman also realizes that no one has done this yet. “Because of the pandemic and armed conflicts in Europe, the topic has been pushed into the background a bit.”

In addition, each country will have to decide separately on the one hand to take this step and on the other hand what time will become the norm. “The problem is that the countries of the South tend to want to maintain daylight saving time and the Nordic countries prefer winter time.”

But Estermann sees signs that make her confident: “Germany believes in this The autumn For the last time the clocks are changed. There they calculated 30 billion euro can save.”

In Switzerland one would in principle be open to canceling the time change. Estermann hears it in Houses of Parliament: “A lot of people tell me: You’re basically right, but we don’t want an isolated solution.” But that’s exactly what she had with her The initiator of the cow horn Armin Kabul Aiming at – Aiming at. Your popular initiative to “yes to cancel the time change” faded after a promising start during the pandemic.

“I was just hoping that Switzerland would go forward with courage and then the neighboring countries would realize: this is actually a good idea.” He probably won’t get that far, but he hates it so badly Federal Council At least not. At least that’s what the Minister of Justice confirmed Karen Keeler Sutter In December 2021 at the request of FDP–the National Council Alex Farinelli. It is likely that Switzerland will adapt if the neighboring countries do so without changing the time.

Yvette Easterman no longer wants to be active again with a new advancement or initiative. “I participated, studies are available,” she says. “The fact that things cannot go any further is only due to political incompetence.” Abolishing daylight saving time certainly makes sense, and it also makes sense for our latitude and longitude.

When the evenings are supposed to get longer for everyone—because they’re brighter—young guys suffer the most, Esterman says. “They don’t go to bed earlier either way because they are under hormonal control. But they can At least sleep longer. »

Estermann understands that issues other than abolishing daylight saving time remain a priority. Therefore, it flatters the pride of the decision-makers a little. “A country that can’t solve small problems certainly can’t solve big problems.”