The Verkhovna Rada in the second reading approved a bill to abolish the clock change by one hour in the spring and fall. It is expected to come into force in 2025, as reported by all news sites. It was presented as a fact that had already happened, but in reality, it hasn’t.
Have all stages been completed
It is important to understand that the final decision has not been made yet, only the approval after the vote in the second reading has taken place. 261 deputies voted in favor of bill No. 4201. The project was created as early as 2020 by Ruslan Stefanchuk, and it took 4 years for the matter to move forward. However, it is too early to celebrate victory.
However, before the matter is actually decided, the President of Ukraine must sign this bill, and there may be issues with this.
Pros
According to the explanatory note, the document is aimed not only at regulating the legal basis for calculating time in Ukraine but also at protecting territorial integrity and strengthening national security. This is important because the time of the aggressor country is used in temporarily occupied territories.
Therefore, establishing a single Kiev time throughout Ukraine will help strengthen the country’s security and contribute to the de-occupation and reintegration of these territories.
The clock change in Ukraine is regulated by Cabinet Resolution No. 509 of May 13, 1996, “On the procedure for calculating time on the territory of Ukraine.”
Cons
But just one day after the vote, dissatisfaction arose in society. The issue is that Ukraine is currently experiencing a difficult period of power outages. People in the evening are forced to use rechargeable lighting sources or candles, which worsens fire safety.
Since the decision has been made to retain “winter time,” the world day will end an hour earlier all year long. Previously, the day used to “lengthen” at the end of March, but now it will not happen. This will cause even more discomfort for the population.
It should also be noted that the world day in the summer in eastern regions used to start at around 3-4 in the morning, but now it will start around 2-3. This also does not satisfy people, so it is expected that complaints and demands to protest the decision will start coming in soon.
Therefore, different scenarios may unfold, starting from the possibility that clocks will continue to be adjusted, to the resolution of the issue regarding daylight saving time.
