As hospitals overheat, schools close and thousands of elderly people die, France’s Greens and far right are tearing into each other over whether mass air‑conditioning is a lifeline or a dangerous illusion.

Carnage has erupted in France as people fight over air-con units ahead of this weekend's heatwave, with huge crowds forcing open supermarket doors to grab fans.

Instead of asking how Europe should adapt to a changing climate, some politicians have found another opportunity to wage a stale culture war. Their latest target is air…