Édouard Balladur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Édouard Balladur
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Balladur in 1993
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| Prime Minister of France | |
| In office 29 March 1993 – 17 May 1995 |
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| President | François Mitterrand |
| Preceded by | Pierre Bérégovoy |
| Succeeded by | Alain Juppé |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 20 March 1986 – 12 May 1988 |
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| Prime Minister | Jacques Chirac |
| Preceded by | Pierre Bérégovoy |
| Succeeded by | Pierre Bérégovoy |
| General Secretary of the President | |
| In office 5 April 1973 – 2 April 1974 |
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| President | Georges Pompidou |
| Preceded by | Michel Jobert |
| Succeeded by | Bernard Beck |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Édouard Léon Raoul Balladur
2 May 1929 İzmir, Turkey |
| Political party | LR (2015–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
UNR (1964–1967) UDR (1967–1976) RPR (1976–2002) UMP (2002–2015) |
| Spouse |
Marie-Josèphe Delacour
(m. 1957) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Aix-Marseille University Institut d'études politiques de Paris École nationale d'administration |
Édouard Balladur (born 2 May 1929) is a French politician. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1993 to 1995. This was during the presidency of François Mitterrand. He also ran for president in 1995 but did not win.
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About Édouard Balladur
Balladur was born in İzmir, Turkey. His family had Armenian roots and strong connections to France. His family, with five children, moved to Marseille, France, in the 1930s.
In 1957, Balladur married Marie-Josèphe Delacour. They had four sons together.
Starting in Politics
Balladur began his political journey in 1964. He worked as an advisor to Prime Minister Georges Pompidou. When Pompidou became President of France in 1969, Balladur became a top assistant. He served as secretary general from 1973 until Pompidou's death in 1974.
Balladur returned to politics in the 1980s. He supported Jacques Chirac. He was a member of the Rally for the Republic (RPR) party. He helped explain the idea of "cohabitation government" from 1986 to 1988. This meant that if a different party won the election, they could still govern.
As the Minister of Economy and Finance, he made big changes. He sold many companies that the government owned. These included banks and TV channels like TF1. He also worked to reduce government spending.
Balladur was seen as a very important minister in Chirac's government. He helped Chirac and the RPR party adopt more modern economic ideas. Even after Chirac lost the 1988 presidential election, Balladur kept Chirac's trust.
Becoming Prime Minister
In 1993, the RPR party won the election. Jacques Chirac decided not to become prime minister again. So, Édouard Balladur was chosen for the job. He became prime minister during a challenging economic time.
He continued the economic plans he started in 1986. He privatized more companies, meaning they were sold to private owners. He was known for being a calm and steady leader.
Balladur believed that nuclear tests were important. He thought they helped France stay strong and safe.
The 1995 Presidential Election
When Balladur became prime minister, he had promised Chirac he would not run for president in 1995. He said he would support Chirac. However, many politicians encouraged Balladur to run. He decided to enter the race.
When he announced his plan, he was very popular in the polls. He was ahead of Chirac by a lot. But Chirac criticized Balladur's ideas. The gap in the polls quickly closed.
In the first round of the election, Balladur came in third place. He received 18.6% of the votes. This meant he was out of the race. Chirac went on to win the election.
After the election, Chirac chose Alain Juppé to be the new prime minister. Balladur's decision to run against Chirac made their friendship difficult. Many of Balladur's supporters, like Nicolas Sarkozy, were not given roles in the new government.
Later Political Life
Balladur continued to be active in politics. He tried to win other elections but was not successful. He wanted to unite the right-wing parties into one big party. Chirac later achieved this with the creation of the Union for a Popular Movement in 2002.
After the 2007 presidential election, Nicolas Sarkozy asked Balladur to lead a committee. This committee worked on changing France's constitution. The changes were approved in 2008.
From 1968 to 1980, Balladur was in charge of the French company for the Mont Blanc Tunnel. He also held other important jobs. He was president of a computer services company from 1977 to 1986. This gave him valuable business experience.
In 2006, he announced he would not run for Parliament again. He had served as a member of Parliament for Paris for many years.
In 2008, Balladur visited the United States. He spoke about his idea for a "Union of the West." This idea was from his latest book.
Balladur is sometimes shown in media as being a bit distant or proud.
Political Roles Held
- Government Jobs
- Prime Minister: 1993–1995.
- Minister of Economy and Finances: 1986–1988.
- Elected Positions
- National Assembly of France
- Member of Parliament for Paris: 1988–1993 and 1995–2007.
- Regional Council
- Regional Councillor for Île-de-France: March–April 1998.
- City Council
- Councillor of Paris: 1989–2008.
Balladur's Cabinet (1993–1995)
- Édouard Balladur – Prime Minister
- Alain Juppé – Minister of Foreign Affairs
- François Léotard – Minister of Defense
- Charles Pasqua – Minister of the Interior and Regional Planning
- Edmond Alphandéry – Minister of Economy
- Nicolas Sarkozy – Minister of the Budget and Government Spokesman
- Gérard Longuet – Minister of Industry, Foreign Trade, Posts, and Telecommunications
- Michel Giraud – Minister of Labour, Employment, and Vocational Training
- Pierre Méhaignerie – Minister of Justice
- François Bayrou – Minister of National Education
- Philippe Mestre – Minister of Veterans and War Victims
- Jacques Toubon – Minister of Culture and Francophonie
- Jean Puech – Minister of Agriculture and Fish
- Michèle Alliot-Marie – Minister of Youth and Sports
- Dominique Perben – Minister of Overseas Departments and Territories
- Bernard Bosson – Minister of Transport, Tourism, and Equipment
- Simone Veil – Minister of Social Affairs, Health, and City
- Michel Roussin – Minister of Cooperation
- Hervé de Charette – Minister of Housing
- Alain Carignon – Minister of Communication
- André Rossinot – Minister of Civil Service
- Alain Madelin – Minister of Companies and Economic Development
- François Fillon – Minister of Higher Education and Research
Cabinet Changes
- 19 July 1994 – Minister of Communication Alain Carignon left the Cabinet.
- 17 October 1994 – José Rossi took over as Minister of Industry, Foreign Trade, Posts, and Telecommunications.
- 12 November 1994 – Bernard Debré became Minister of Cooperation.
Film and TV
- 2011: Mort d'un président by Pierre Aknine: played by Cyrille Eldin
See also
In Spanish: Édouard Balladur para niños
