What Edouard Balladur’s career can teach France’s 2027 presidential candidates

Edouard Balladur's death at 97 has prompted praise across France, but his career also leaves a warning for those seeking the presidency in 2027: a long record in public life does not guarantee entry to the Élysée Palace.

Balladur belonged to a political era before social media and around-the-clock news channels. His career stretched across several decades. During the May 1968 unrest, he helped negotiate the Grenelle agreements as a member of Prime Minister Georges Pompidou's cabinet, alongside an adviser named Jacques Chirac.

Nearly 50 years later, Balladur was still active in national politics. In 2017, Nicolas Sarkozy asked him to chair a commission on constitutional reform. By then, he had also spent many years as a member of parliament.

That longevity helps explain why his death marks the passing of a large chapter in French political life. Yet the central lesson for future presidential candidates is more sobering. Despite his experience and standing, Balladur did not reach the presidency.