Vol. 19 · No. 3 · Issue 60 · Fall 2001 · pp. 56-79 (24)

M. Anne Sa'adah

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Abstract

Joschka Fischer (b. 1948), Germany's foreign minister and for several years one of the country's most popular politicians, is a man of the moment, of consequence both domestically and beyond his country's borders. Nationally prominent as leader of the "realo" faction of the Greens, he was instrumental in turning a protest movement into the partner in power of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). During the Kosovo crisis, he was a key figure in securing German participation in the NATO intervention. He has played an influential role in the unfolding debate about institutional reform within the European Union. During the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian violence, he has actively tried to bring the parties to the table.