Europe’s heatwave moves east as row erupts in France over air conditioning

French far-right leader’s ‘grand plan’ to expand AC comes under attack, while Germany braces for possible record heat

A young woman holds her head into the cool water of a fountain at the Lustgarten park on Museum Island in Berlin on July 2, 2025, as temperatures were predicted to reach up to 37 degrees Celsius. Picture: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images

The European heatwave has moved east, threatening record temperatures in Germany, as a political row broke out in France over air conditioning.

The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen seized a canvassing opportunity before the 2027 presidential election, announcing she would launch a “grand plan for air conditioning” for the nation if she won power.