European heatwave has caused hundreds of deaths, why not turn on air conditioning?

Currently, many European countries are experiencing a widespread extreme heatwave. Under the continuous impact of the "heat dome" effect, temperatures in many places have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
Since last weekend, at least 40 people in France have died from accidental drowning due to heat avoidance, and three elderly people and two young children have died from heat-related causes. According to estimates from Spain's daily death monitoring system, the number of deaths caused by high temperatures in Spain in May this year reached 101, most of whom were elderly, mainly from the northern regions of Spain. This is the highest record for May since monitoring began in 2015.
Europe is dying from heat? Then just turn on the air conditioning. But in many European countries, installing an air conditioner is as difficult as adding an elevator to an old building. Even if you can install the air conditioning, the electricity bill is very expensive, and whether you can afford to use it is another issue. For Europe, which is under the dual pressure of energy supply shortages and carbon neutrality, using air conditioning has never been a simple livelihood dilemma.
The tradition of no air conditioning
The European public is somewhat struggling in the face of the latest record-breaking heatwave, which has a lot to do with the "historical tradition" of many countries not having air conditioning.
Yang Yang, a Chinese overseas Chinese living in Paris, said in an interview with China Qiaowang that air conditioning is not common in France, partly because summers used to be not as hot, and the thick walls of old buildings, combined with nighttime ventilation, could basically cool down; partly due to the need to protect the exterior walls of old buildings, installing air conditioning requires approval from the municipal government and property management.
It's hard to believe that people die from heat without air conditioning in such hot weather.