Ursula von der Leyen’s EU Commission Cuts AC for Staff Amid Heatwave

During a severe European heatwave, the European Commission ordered the air‑conditioning system in the Berlaymont building in Brussels to be switched off on floors 1‑7 for the remainder of the workday. The shutdown affected roughly 3,000 lower‑floor employees, while the upper floors – where President Ursula von der Leyen and the 26 commissioners have their offices – continued to be cooled.

Staff described the measure as “like feudalism” and “a disgrace,” saying they were left to endure temperatures above 25 °C. The Commission said the action was forced by technical limits of the cooling system under the extreme weather, not a policy decision.

The heatwave, driven by an “Omega block,” pushed temperatures across Europe up to 18 °C above normal, with France reaching a record 44.3 °C and causing dozens of deaths, power outages and railway cancellations. Only about one‑fifth of European households have air‑conditioning, highlighting broader infrastructure challenges.