Spain, a country on the Iberian Peninsula, has been using the CET (Central European Time) zone since 1942, the same as Italy, due to a decision by Francisco Franco, despite its location along the Greenwich Meridian, a historically significant reference point. The 0° meridian crosses Spanish cities such as Zaragoza, Castellón, and Denia.

CET, the acronym for Central European Time, refers to the time used by Central European countries like Italy and Germany, which adopt UTC+1 (standard time in autumn/winter) or UTC+2 (daylight saving time in spring/summer). Meanwhile, the Greenwich Mean Time zone, known as UTC or GMT—the same as London—aligns with the longitude of 0° E and 0° W. In simpler terms, when it's noon in London, moving east, it becomes 1:00 PM, an hour ahead.

Franco, a Spanish politician, formally declared the country a monarchy, positioning himself as regent, but in practice, he established a dictatorial regime known as Francoism, following the model of Hitler, the German dictator responsible for inhumane atrocities like the Holocaust. The "Caudillo" (leader, commander), as Franco was called, aligned Spain with Hitler to win his favor. Even after his death in 1975 and the end of the dictatorship, the time zone remained unchanged, except in the Canary Islands. Recently, this issue has resurfaced, sparking social debate about reverting to the pre-1942 time zone, aligning with London time, like neighboring Portugal. Currently, Spaniards still follow the time zone set during Franco's dictatorship, and many find it inconvenient in terms of work schedules, sleep, and study.