Édouard Balladur, former Prime Minister of France, has died in Paris at the age of 97. Born in Turkey to Armenian banking parents, Balladur moved to France as a child and later entered politics as an advisor to Georges Pompidou. He served as Minister of Finance under Prime Minister Chirac before becoming Prime Minister himself from 1993 to 1995, serving under Socialist President Mitterrand. Their partnership was strained due to Balladur’s conservative policies, particularly regarding privatization and reducing the role of government, which Mitterrand publicly opposed. Balladur ran for president in 1995 but lost to Jacques Chirac, leading to a political rift between the two. He will be buried in a private ceremony, according to his family.