France sweltered through its hottest day on record yesterday, with temperatures in Paris reaching 42.6°C. The mercury has split the nation not just into those with air conditioning and those without, but along a sharper political fault line. For the working-class families in the banlieues, the heat is a luxury they cannot afford. For the government, it is a test of its green credentials.
The heatwave, which has gripped much of Europe, has exposed a stark inequality. In the prosperous arrondissements of central Paris, offices and apartments hum with the quiet whir of air conditioning units. But in the high-rise estates of Saint-Denis or Seine-Saint-Denis, where many homes are poorly insulated and lack cooling, the heat is a deadly reality. "We can't open the windows because of the noise and the dust from the motorway," said Fatima, a cleaner who lives in a 15th-floor flat with her three children. "But we can't afford an air conditioner. The electricity bill would be too much."
The political divide is equally sharp. President Macron’s government has pushed for energy efficiency and a reduction in carbon emissions, urging citizens to rely on fans and shutters instead of air conditioning. "Air conditioning is a false solution," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Ecological Transition. "It exacerbates climate change and puts pressure on the grid." But critics argue this is a luxury for the rich who can afford both the units and the energy bills. The left-wing opposition has seized on the issue. "The government is asking the poor to suffer in the heat while the rich stay cool and comfortable," said Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise. "This is not ecological justice, it is ecological apartheid."
The heatwave is a preview of a warming world. Scientists warn that such extreme temperatures will become more frequent. For the working class, the choice is stark: swelter or pay. For the government, the choice is equally stark: preserve the planet or protect the poorest. The divide between those with air conditioning and those without is not just about comfort. It is about survival. The French state, built on ideals of equality, now faces an uncomfortable truth: the heat does not discriminate, but the means to escape it do.
