Former French prime minister Édouard Balladur dies at 97 in Paris
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Former French prime minister Édouard Balladur dies at 97 in Paris
Former French prime minister Édouard Balladur dies at 97: tributes pour in from Macron, Sarkozy
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Édouard Balladur, the former French prime minister who led the country’s last cohabitation government under Socialist President François Mitterrand, died Monday in Paris at the age of 97, his family told AFP. A private funeral mass will be held in the closest family circle, with no further details provided.
Balladur served as prime minister from March 1993 to May 1995, overseeing a conservative-led government during Mitterrand’s presidency. His tenure was marked by efforts to privatize state-owned enterprises, a policy that defined his economic approach. In 1995, he ran for president but finished third in the first round, behind Socialist Lionel Jospin and his conservative rival Jacques Chirac, who ultimately won the election. The bitter campaign fractured France’s right-wing politics and effectively ended Balladur’s political career.
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Balladur on social media, calling him a “demanding, level-headed, and devoted public servant” who “dedicated his life to the Fifth Republic.” Current Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu described him as a “statesman with a reformist spirit” who would remain a role model for many in his political circle .
Born in 1929 in Izmir, Turkey, to a family of Armenian origin, Balladur moved to France as a child and later studied at Sciences Po and the École Nationale d’Administration. He began his political career as a close adviser to President Georges Pompidou, serving as his chief of staff before entering government. His political legacy was later overshadowed by allegations that his 1995 presidential campaign was partly funded by kickbacks from arms deals with Pakistan, though he was acquitted by France’s Court of the Republic in 2021 .
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who served as Balladur’s budget minister, called him a mentor and a friend, stating on social media that he would not have had his political career without Balladur’s support . Bruno Retailleau, leader of the conservative Les Républicains party, praised Balladur as a politician who held a “noble vision of France” and respected democratic debate .
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, also offered condolences, acknowledging Balladur’s impact on French public life despite political differences. She noted his consistent adherence to his convictions and vision of service to the Republic .
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