Former French PM Édouard Balladur dies at 97; architect of 1990s privatizations

Édouard Balladur, who served as French prime minister from 1993 to 1995 under François Mitterrand, has died in Paris at 97. He oversaw major privatizations of state companies and ran unsuccessfully for president in 1995. His death marks the end of an era in French politics but has no immediate policy implications.