Fischer could quit after Green war vote

German Green leaders warned yesterday that the Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, could resign if a special party conference today calls for a unilateral, unconditional halt to NATO's bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. Such flagrant opposition to the government's policy on Kosovo would make Mr Fischer's position untenable and endanger the future of Germany's ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens.

As the undisputed star of Green politics, Mr Fischer is hugely popular within the party he helped to found 20 years ago. But a growing number of Green activists are unhappy with their leaders' support for NATO's campaign, which they regard as a betrayal of the party's pacifist tradition.

Delegates at today's conference in the northern town of Bielefeld will consider more than 100 motions concerning the war, a number of which call for an immediate end to the bombing campaign.

The party leadership is backing a motion calling for a temporary suspension of NATO's air strikes to allow for an intensified search for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Although this is not in tune with official government policy, the motion echoes many of the principles identified by Mr Fischer in a peace proposal last month. In fact, party sources say that the motion was drafted mainly by advisers from Mr Fischer's ministry.

Ms Gunda Rostel, spokeswoman for the party's national executive, expressed confidence yesterday that the conference would approve the leadership's motion. "If it turns out differently, I can foresee enormous problems ahead for the coalition," she said.