(FILES) French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac (R) discusses with Minister of State for the Economy, Finance and Privatization Edouard Balladur (C), under the gaze of Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Michel Noir, in the courtyard of the Elysée Palace, following the Council of Ministers during which a bill removing administrative authorization for economic layoffs was adopted, on May 14, 1986. Former Prime Minister Edouard Balladur died on August 31, 2026 in Paris at the age of 97, his family told AFP. (Photo by MICHEL CLEMENT / AFP via Getty Images)