The electronic 
ballast has a 
rectifier arrangement (1)-which is fed by 
AC power supply 
voltage (U)-with active step-up converter (SW2), a storage 
capacitor (C2), a network for limiting an 
inrush current and two outputs, at which a stabilized 
DC voltage (U+) referred to housing ground as reference potential (Uref) is output. An 
inverter (2) is connected to the 
rectifier arrangement, a 
load circuit (3) with at least one 
fluorescent lamp (La1 and / or La2) being assigned to said 
inverter on the output side. The 
inverter has a converter network (T1 / 1, T1 / 2, C1, SW3, SW4), preferably designed as a push-pull circuit, with two bridge paths, which, in the steady-state operating condition, are alternatively switched through to the reference potential. In this case, the switching network for limiting the 
inrush current comprises a limiting 
resistor (R1), which, in series with the storage 
capacitor (C2), is connected to reference potential. The 
junction point between the storage 
capacitor and the limiting 
resistor is coupled to the two bridge paths of the converter network in such a way that it is connected, in the steady-state condition of the inverter, via the latter to housing ground and the limiting 
resistor, which is thus effective only in the switch-on phase, is bridged.