Former French Prime Minister Édouard Balladur has died at the age of 97. He passed away in Paris on Monday. Balladur served as Prime Minister from March 29, 1993, to May 17, 1995, during a period known as "cohabitation," when the president and prime minister belonged to different political parties. This era occurred under President François Mitterrand, a Socialist, and Balladur, a conservative. Balladur was known as "the friend of thirty years" of Jacques Chirac, a prominent French politician who later became president. Their relationship turned adversarial during the 1995 presidential election, where Balladur was eliminated in the first round, finishing third behind Lionel Jospin of the Socialist Party and Chirac, who ultimately won. After his defeat, Balladur famously told his supporters, "I ask you to stop," following their jeering of Chirac’s name. Balladur's political career began in 1986 when Chirac, then leader of a right-wing faction that won legislative elections, appointed him as minister of State for Economy, Finance, and Privatizations. He later served as president of the Foreign Affairs committee in the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007. In 2006, he announced his withdrawal from active politics. He was also involved in legal issues, including being suspected of funding his 1995 presidential campaign through retro-commissions on arms contracts with Pakistan, but was acquitted in 2021. Reactions to Balladur’s death included tributes from across the political spectrum. President Emmanuel Macron described him as a "demanding, measured, devoted servant of France," while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu praised his "reformist spirit." Nicolas Sarkozy, who served as Balladur’s Minister of Finance, called him "an example, a mentor and a friend." His legacy includes implementing an ambitious privatization program influenced by the economic liberalism of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. Despite his political challenges, Balladur is remembered as a significant figure in French politics.