France is facing a record heatwave that has turned air conditioning into a political battleground.
Just a few years ago, air conditioning was viewed in France as a "noisy, unsightly, and American" appliance. However, the current heatwave has shifted public perception, leading to a political clash over solutions.
According to CNN, air conditioning has become more than just a household appliance in France; it is now a political issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In Paris, demand for portable air conditioners surged, causing chaos at Lidl stores as customers rushed to buy them, leading to broken doors and scuffles. The air conditioning penetration rate in French households has increased to about 24%, up from 18% two years ago, but it still lags behind Italy's rate of approximately 50%.
Only 7% of schools have air conditioning, resulting in thousands of school closures during the heatwave. The June heatwave led to over 2,000 excess deaths over six days, shaking the anti-air conditioning sentiment in French society, CNN reported.
The debate has quickly moved into the political arena.
Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally (RN) has labeled air conditioning a "public health issue" and has pledged a nationwide distribution plan. She stated that if elected president, she would push for large-scale cooling systems in schools, hospitals, and millions of households.
In contrast, prominent figures from the radical left party La France Insoumise (LFI), including Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Manuel Bompard, argue that "installing air conditioning everywhere only exacerbates the problem." They contend that while air conditioning is necessary in hospitals and care facilities for vulnerable populations, indiscriminate distribution would worsen urban heat island effects and increase greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately worsening the climate crisis.
The Green Party has also softened its previous strong opposition. Marine Tondelier, the party's leader, acknowledged that "air conditioning is no longer a taboo subject, but it is not the solution to all problems," admitting that there are now places where it is impossible to endure without air conditioning.
The government is seeking a middle ground. Matthieu Lefebvre, Deputy Minister for Ecological Transition, stated that in France, which has a low-carbon nuclear power grid, there is no need to prohibit air conditioning outright. However, he emphasized the need for fundamental adaptation policies, such as improving insulation and increasing urban greenery. Meanwhile, the opposition has continued to criticize the government for failing to adequately prepare for the heatwave, submitting a motion of no confidence.
French parliamentary channel LCP highlighted that the core of the debate is not simply about being for or against air conditioning, but rather whether to implement widespread distribution. Experts and centrist politicians agree that while cooling should be expanded to protect vulnerable populations, merely installing air conditioning in poorly insulated buildings will not provide a fundamental solution.
The French media outlet La Dépêche criticized the current debate as a "false debate," arguing that while air conditioning can save lives, it also increases power consumption and refrigerant use, creating another climate burden. They stressed that the issue is not whether to install air conditioning or renovate buildings, but rather that both approaches must be pursued together.
Long-term strategies, such as urban greening, building insulation, and improved construction methods, should be combined with expanding high-efficiency cooling systems in essential facilities like hospitals and schools. Ultimately, the air conditioning debate in France has evolved beyond a simple conflict over cooling devices; it has become a societal choice about how to adapt to the climate crisis and who will bear the costs.
As heatwaves become a regular occurrence, French politics finds itself at the center of a new political controversy surrounding climate adaptation strategies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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