The heatwave that struck France left more than 1,000 dead - and instead of self-criticism, an unexpected accusation came from Paris: the United States is to blame for the heat in Europe.

The statement came from Audrey Pulvar, the deputy mayor of Paris for international relations. „As the second-largest polluter in the world, you bear significant responsibility for global warming and its consequences that we now feel in France," she said toward the US, accusing American journalists and influencers of pointing the finger at France over its low use of air conditioning while staying silent about their own emissions.

The figures are brutal. Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees across much of the country, and Paris services received 3,400 calls in 24 hours - four times the usual. Seventy-four people drowned seeking relief, and a twelve-year-old girl died of heatstroke. Only 25 percent of French households have air conditioning, against 50 in Spain and Italy and as much as 90 in the US and Japan.

Behind the diplomatic sparring lies a real dilemma. France has traditionally resisted air conditioning - many link it to illness and „thermal shock" and prefer natural ventilation. The question for the accusation is whether it is justified or just a way to deflect the blame elsewhere. Warming is a global problem, but an accusation across the ocean cools down not a single apartment. In the Balkans, where summers are getting harsher, this debate sounds familiar - everyone knows who is to blame for the climate, and no one wants to pay the bill for the solution.