America learned long ago that air-conditioning saves lives. Why does Europe remain so stubborn about it?

During his inaugural speech on Jan.1, Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared, “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”It certainly feels warm these days.As temperatures climbed during the heat wave that blanketed much of the eastern United States, the mayor took to social media with a familiar message from the government.

“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” he tweeted.“Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can.”This is the real face of the political left: Individual comfort and convenience should be subordinated to collective priorities, with government officials deciding how much energy ordinary people ought to consume.Over the pond in Europe, we are seeing the effects of that warm glow of collectivism in full force.

Decades of climate policy, energy restrictions and cultural hostility toward air conditioning have left millions of Europeans sweltering without one of the greatest public health innovations of the modern age.They are trying to stay cool with fire trucks spraying water in public squares and parks.Even hospitals and the homes of medically fragile individuals are overheating.In a Wall Street Journal report on the continent’s heat wave, the paper introduced Luca Funaro, a 32-year-old Parisian with a rare genetic illness who relies on both a wheelchair and a ventilator.

Despite his condition, his neighbors have spent two years blocking his request to install an air-conditioning unit in his apartment courtyard because they say it would be too loud.His family has spent thousands of dollars fighting them in court while he endures record-breaking heat.It is hard to imagine a clearer illustration of the cruelty of collectivism in practice.A healthy group of neighbors has decided that one disabled man’s ability to breathe comfortably matters less than preserving their preferred aesthetic and s...