Winter time: the debate on maintaining GMT+1 in Morocco relaunched

Many Moroccans express their difficulty in adapting to this pace. Parents denounce the impact on their children, forced to wake up and go to school in total darkness. "They are exhausted, less attentive and have trouble concentrating," testifies Samira, a mother from Casablanca interviewed by Le Matin. A sentiment shared by workers, who describe a "unpleasant" and "dangerous" rhythm for those who travel early in the morning.

Beyond comfort, specialists warn of the health effects of this shift. Dr. Lamia El Idrissi, a general practitioner, explains that the disruption of the light-dark cycle affects melatonin secretion and creates an "internal desynchronization". In the youngest, this would result in daytime drowsiness, decreased vigilance and increased irritability.

Is a return to GMT conceivable?

Faced with the persistence of this discomfort, the question of a return to the past is resurfacing. For Rachid Essedik, president of the Moroccan Center for Citizenship (CMC), this hypothesis is conceivable but must be carefully considered. He notes that the debate "has never disappeared" and that the temporary return to GMT during Ramadan reminds citizens each year of the "natural time of the country".

However, he believes that such a decision should not be a simple mimicry of Europe, which is also reconsidering the time change, but should be based on objective national data: health, productivity and education.

Mr. Essedik recalls that the 2018 impact study, which had justified the switch to GMT+1, estimated energy savings at only 0.17% of national consumption, or about 33.9 million dirhams. He then asks the central question: "Does this amount weigh more than the daily comfort of millions of Moroccans?"

For him, the answer lies in prioritizing the "collective gain". If a return to GMT improves the quality of life of families and safety, this gain would be "much more important than a few energy savings". However, he insists that digital mobilization alone is not enough to bring about change, which can only come from a "political decision". If this return were to take place, it should be "clear", "stable" and accompanied by awareness-raising measures on energy efficiency.