Air-con culture war heats up in Paris as temperatures soar

As Paris hit nearly 40°C, air conditioning became a political flashpoint. Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella's far-right Rassemblement National frame AC as a health necessity tied to nuclear power expansion, while Jean-Luc Mélenchon's La France Insoumise warns it worsens the climate crisis and pushes for trees and passive cooling. Monocle editor Josh Fehnert argues that Europe's heating faster than expected demands a pragmatic middle ground, noting that 30,000 AC units were ordered for French hospitals. The city's Haussmannian limestone buildings trap heat, and Paris lacks sufficient green space. Fehnert points to Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, who in the 1950s saw AC as key to tropical development, and suggests European cities must adapt quickly.