northern Norway/Politico
The extreme northern region of Norway, located beyond the Arctic Circle, has asked the European Commission to grant permission to establish a separate time zone. They aim to increase the number of hours to 26.
Vadse Mayor Venke Pedersen said the plan aims to promote local values, increase family time and attract new residents to the region. Politico writes about this.
At the same time, Pedersen herself does not fully know how the 26-hour day will function.
The clock will be moved from 12 to 13.. .and we have to see how it goes. I don't think they (the European Commission. – Ed.) will say yes, so we haven't thought through all the details yet, she admitted.
Mayor Vadse at the same time hopes that increasing the length of the day will inspire people to move to Norway's northernmost region – which is “more important than ever” in light of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine.
We like our way of life and think it can be very interesting, especially for families with small children, said the mayor. I think it's more peaceful and a better daily life than, for example, in a big city.
Norway is not a member of the European Union, but it is part of the European Economic Area. The EU directive regulates the clocks to be set to daylight saving time, but the European Commission told Politico that time zone issues are decided at the national level, so it is unlikely that the EU will be able to help with Vadse's request.
City in northern Norway/Politico