Edouard Balladur, Former French Prime Minister, Passes Away at 97

POLICY WIRE — Paris, France — Edouard Balladur, the former Prime Minister of France, has passed away at the age of 97. His family confirmed the news to AFP, stating that a private mass service is being planned following his death in Paris on Monday.

Balladur served as Prime Minister from March 1993 to May 1995 under President Francois Mitterrand. His tenure was marked by significant privatisations of state companies and occurred during France’s complex involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the corruption scandal known as the Karachi affair.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his respects on social media, describing Balladur as a “demanding, level-headed, and devoted public servant” who dedicated his life to the Fifth Republic. “I honor his memory and extend my thoughts to his family and loved ones,” Macron wrote.

Current Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu praised Balladur as a “statesman with a reformist spirit,” noting that he will remain a role model for many in his political circle. Marine Le Pen also offered her condolences, highlighting Balladur’s consistent convictions and respect for democratic debate despite political differences.

Born in Turkey in 1929 to an Armenian family, Balladur moved to Marseille in 1934 and later studied at Sciences Po and Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Paris. He served as a close adviser to former President Georges Pompidou and ran for the presidency in 1995, though he was eliminated in the first round.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)