High temperatures in Brussels caused a technical failure in the air conditioning systems of the European Parliament in the «Paul-Henri Spaak» building, leaving employees without air conditioning. The breakdown of the cooling systems occurred in the so-called Zone C, which houses the offices of the Greens, the Liberals of Renew Europe, and the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).
However, European Parliament staff didn’t seem fazed by the heat and discomfort they endured, with representatives commenting on the incident with humor, irony, and political undertones.
Brussels: «We’re sweating for our political positions» – The political jokes
Specifically, a Renew Europe spokesperson characteristically stated: «It hasn’t been this hot since Ursula put the brakes on the green package», referring to the confusion that prevailed the previous week regarding the Commission’s intention to withdraw the bill against greenwashing.
With a mocking tone, they continued: «I heard it’s better on the fifth floor – where they don’t believe in climate change», «targeting» the ECR offices, who have advocated for relaxing European environmental policies.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives responded in kind: «We know they want us to sweat for our political positions, but this is getting ridiculous».
European Parliament: Complete renovation from 2027
It should be noted that, according to internal communication from Parliament’s Infrastructure Directorate, the air conditioning system suffered «significant malfunction» on Tuesday evening, due to «unusually high temperatures». Technical teams were unable to repair the problem during the night and work continued the following day.
It is emphasized that this particular wing of Parliament is expected to undergo complete renovation starting in 2027, with a total budget of 440 million euros. The work, which will last approximately five years, aims to upgrade infrastructure to modern safety and environmental sustainability standards. The decision was made following the collapse of part of the plenary ceiling in the previous period.
