(FILES) French President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) shakes hands with former Prime minister Edouard Balladur, at the Justice Ministry in Paris during a ceremony held to seal new amendments to the French Constitution, on October 1, 2008. Former Prime Minister Edouard Balladur died on August 31, 2026 in Paris at the age of 97, his family told AFP. (Photo by REMY DE LA MAUVINIERE / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)