Spain’s late-night eating culture poses mental health risk, says minister

‘We reject any proposal that questions the Spanish lifestyle,’ says Spain by Night, a federation representing leisure and entertainment groups. Photograph: AA World Travel Library/Alamy

Working past 10pm can pose a risk to mental health, Spain’s leftwing labour minister, Yolanda Díaz, has warned, as she fended off criticisms for describing the country’s custom of keeping restaurants open until late into the night as “madness”.

The debate over Spain’s vibrant nightlife – and the long working hours needed to sustain it – was thrust into the spotlight on Monday after Díaz characterised the country’s late-night restaurant culture as out of step with the rest of Europe.