François Bayrou has been appointed as the new prime minister of France. The 73-year-old is considered an ally of President Emmanuel Macron since he came to power in 2017. Bayrou has a long history in French politics. At the time when NATO intervened in Kosovo in 1999, Bayrou was in the opposition. At that time, he supported the French leadership for the intervention in Kosovo.
In an interview with "RTL" on April 7, 1999, he called the launch of the bombing a "wise move".
"There was no truce (from Milosevic). For now, it's a smart move. I believe that the president and the government were right when they said that this truce should be accompanied by certain conditions, especially those related to the safety of the refugees to return home immediately. And then, also, to organize the common life of Kosovo Albanians and Serbs, as both communities will have to live together, as soon as an agreement is reached. The door is not fully closed. It's simple – the conditions must be met. In any case, it is a sign that Milosevic, for all his arrogance, finds himself forced by the blows to reflect. Now is not the time to stop the action", he declared.
Bayrou also said that the NATO bombings will be talked about for a long time by historians.
"For ten years, Milosevic has caused 200 deaths. The history of the 20th century has taught us that every time we fail to see something, it ends badly, today or tomorrow. So we are right to have reacted. It is another matter whether the procedures could have been different", said Bayrou, who at that time led the Union for French Democracy (UDF) party.
He had described NATO's action as an intervention to respect human rights.
