On a scorching afternoon in late June 2025, as Paris sweltered under a relentless hundred-degree heatwave, a new controversy gripped France—one not about taxes, retirement, or even the sanctity of summer vacations, but about a modern comfort: air conditioning. The debate, which has since ignited passionate responses across the political spectrum and among ordinary Parisians, underscores just how much Europe’s changing climate is forcing society to reconsider old habits and national identity.
It all began when Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right party, appeared on French TV channel BFM and delivered a message that was as direct as the midday sun. “Air conditioning saves lives,” she declared, referencing the extreme heat that had forced 1,800 schools to close, according to government reports. Le Pen went further, calling it “totally absurd” that the majority of French hospitals and schools still lacked air conditioning. Her promise was unequivocal: if elected, she would install AC units across the country.
Le Pen’s comments, as reported by NPR, landed like a cold splash in the face of a nation divided. The heatwave was no small event—eight of the ten hottest summers on record in Paris have occurred in the last decade, a fact that’s hard to ignore when the city’s iconic Seine riverbanks are filled with Parisians trying to keep cool. Yet, the idea of widespread air conditioning struck a nerve, and not everyone was ready to embrace the chill.
France’s Ecologist Party, represented by Green Party secretary Marine Tondelier, quickly responded on France Info radio. While Tondelier clarified she wasn’t against installing air conditioning in critical places like schools and hospitals, she argued that it shouldn’t be the only solution. “The real problem is poor insulation,” she stated, advocating for more investment in energy-efficient buildings instead. For Tondelier and her party, the debate is about long-term sustainability, not just immediate relief from the heat.
This clash of perspectives is mirrored in public opinion. According to a recent OpinionWay poll cited by NPR, only about half of the French public believes all public spaces should be air conditioned. In stark contrast to the United States, where 90% of households have air conditioning, only 25% of French households do. The numbers tell a story of cultural difference and perhaps a lingering attachment to traditional ways of coping with the summer heat—open windows, shaded shutters, and a certain stoic endurance.
Economist Nicolas Bouzou, writing in Le Figaro, offered another angle. “If I had to sum up, I can say that the left is against air conditioners, and the right is in favor [of] air conditioner,” Bouzou told NPR. For him, the issue transcends comfort; it’s about productivity. “It’s very difficult to work. It’s very difficult to study. And at the end of the day, it’s very difficult to struggle against the climate crisis,” he said, emphasizing that air conditioning can help maintain a functioning society during increasingly frequent heatwaves.
Bouzou also pointed out a crucial detail often missed in the debate: most of France’s energy is nuclear, which means the country can, in theory, stay cool without significantly warming the planet. This fact, he argues, should alleviate some environmental concerns—though, as the Green Party notes, energy efficiency and insulation remain vital for minimizing overall consumption.
Yet, the argument isn’t just playing out among politicians and experts. On a 90-degree afternoon along the Seine, NPR’s Rebecca Rosman found Parisians largely unbothered by the heat, some even offended at the suggestion of more air conditioning. Take 73-year-old writer Philippe Mezescase, for example. His response was simple and reflective of a certain French sensibility: “AC wastes a lot of energy. Why not just open a window?” For Mezescase and others, the solution is natural ventilation, not technological intervention.
Some Parisians, when asked about air conditioning, responded with outright distaste. “I don’t like this. I don’t like. I don’t have,” one unidentified resident told NPR, highlighting a cultural resistance that goes beyond mere practicality. Air conditioning, for many, represents an Americanization of French life—something to be resisted, not embraced.
But not everyone in France is convinced by this traditionalist stance. Peter Soderbaum, an Australian living in France, expressed his bewilderment at the debate. “There’s no discussion. You have air conditioning,” he said, describing the Australian approach to heatwaves. Soderbaum has adapted to what he calls France’s “air conditioning phobia” by using a fan and blackout curtains, but he believes the French are simply delaying the inevitable. “It will come, whether they want it or not,” he predicted, suggesting that rising temperatures will eventually force a cultural shift.
Underlying this debate is a broader reckoning with climate change. As Europe’s summers grow hotter, the pressure to adapt—whether through technology, infrastructure, or behavior—intensifies. The closure of 1,800 schools during the recent heatwave was a stark reminder of the stakes. For some, like Le Pen and Bouzou, the answer lies in embracing modern comforts and leveraging France’s low-carbon energy mix. For others, like Tondelier and many Parisians, the focus should be on sustainable solutions that preserve both the environment and a way of life.
All these voices—politicians, economists, everyday citizens, and expatriates—reflect a country at a crossroads. The debate over air conditioning is, in many ways, a debate about how France sees itself in a warming world: as a nation of tradition and resilience, or one ready to adapt and innovate in the face of new challenges.
As the mercury continues to rise and heatwaves become more common, the question remains: will France cling to its open windows and shaded courtyards, or will the hum of air conditioners soon become as much a part of Parisian summers as the sound of cicadas in Provence? One thing is certain—this is a debate that isn’t cooling down anytime soon.
