Former French Prime Minister Balladur Dies at 97

Former French PM Édouard Balladur, who served 1993-1995, has died at 97

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Édouard Balladur's family announced on 2026-08-31 that the former French Prime Minister died in Paris at age 97. ^[1] After leaving politics, Balladur was suspected of secretly financing his 1995 presidential campaign with bribes from arms deals with Pakistan; the Court of Justice of the Republic acquitted him in 2021. ^[2] In the 1995 French presidential election, Balladur competed directly against conservative party leader Jacques Chirac; Chirac led the field into the second round and won against socialist candidate Lionel Jospin, a rivalry that split France's conservatives and ended Balladur's political career. ^[3] Édouard Balladur served as Prime Minister of France from 1993 to 1995 under socialist President François Mitterrand. ^[4] Balladur, a centre-right politician, served as prime minister of France from 1993 to 1995 and oversaw a privatisation programme that sold stakes in banks Société Générale and Paribas (later part of BNP Paribas) and broadcaster TF1, and he pushed through a pension reform in 1993. ^[5] French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on X that Balladur was closely associated with 50 years of the history of the Fifth Republic and was a leading figure in French public life. ^[6]

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Édouard Balladur's family announced on 2026-08-31 that the former French Prime Minister died in Paris at age 97. · DIE ZEIT

After leaving politics, Balladur was suspected of secretly financing his 1995 presidential campaign with bribes from arms deals with Pakistan; the Court of Justice of the Republic acquitted him in 2021. · DIE ZEIT

In the 1995 French presidential election, Balladur competed directly against conservative party leader Jacques Chirac; Chirac led the field into the second round and won against socialist candidate Lionel Jospin, a rivalry that split France's conservatives and ended Balladur's political career. · DIE ZEIT

Édouard Balladur served as Prime Minister of France from 1993 to 1995 under socialist President François Mitterrand. · DIE ZEIT

Balladur, a centre-right politician, served as prime minister of France from 1993 to 1995 and oversaw a privatisation programme that sold stakes in banks Société Générale and Paribas (later part of BNP Paribas) and broadcaster TF1, and he pushed through a pension reform in 1993. · Business Day

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on X that Balladur was closely associated with 50 years of the history of the Fifth Republic and was a leading figure in French public life. · Business Day

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