Diplomats expect the gloves to come off at today's informal EU budget summit outside the German capital. In a bid to concentrate minds seriously on achieving agreement within a month on the complex Agenda 2000 budget package, it appears the Germany presidency has been encouraging the possibility of confrontations.
The meeting is not expected to make any specific decisions but to point a way for the talks, diplomats say.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, who arrived in Bonn last night, will join with those like the Spanish and Portuguese who are deeply concerned at the cost-cutting thrust of recent discussions at ministerial level. He is understood to share the French view that those who have shown their flexibility and willingness to share burdens have not seen their generosity reciprocated.
Mr Ahern will meet the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, at 8.30 this morning for at least an hour to review progress on legislation to establish North-South bodies and to look at whether the March 10th deadline is still realistic. They will also discuss what both sides believe are encouraging signs this week in the North on decommissioning and the establishment of the Stormont executive. Mr Ahern will also raise the issue of the Garvaghy Road marches on which little progress has been made over months.
In his contribution to the informal summit, the Taoiseach is likely to set out three key bottom lines for Ireland: what the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, has called a "soft landing, not a crash landing" on structural funds, continued eligibility for cohesion funds until at least 2003 and an "equitable" farm deal.
Mr Ahern will reiterate his warning of Monday that some of the proposals now being touted by the more hawkish budget cutters would have a devastating effect on Ireland and will insist that the Commission proposals on the transition period in structural funding and on cohesion funds are at the limit of what the Government can accept.
He is expected to indicate an Irish willingness to consider a new method of calculating member-state contributions to the EU based on GNP and in which a ceiling is set on national net contributions, a concession that is of importance to the Germans. But he will certainly back the French outright opposition to any renationalisation of CAP payments.
In his letter to heads of government setting out the agenda for today's meeting the German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, said he hopes for a "fully frank and confidential" examination of the issues and possible compromises - diplomatic code for an invitation not to pull punches.
Indeed Mr Schroder adds at the end of his missive a suggestion that they should finish their meeting with a discussion of a common line for the press "in order not to threaten the confidential and informal nature of the talks".
But rows there will be, no doubt, and you will be hearing about them.
The leaders will spend most of the day discussing Agenda 2000 but over lunch are also expected to touch on Kosovo, the Middle East, the reform of the Commission and the procedures that will be used to fill important looming vacancies, notably the presidency of the Commission and the head of the Union's foreign policy unit.
The latter is the post for which the Government is taking soundings on behalf of the former Tanaiste Mr Dick Spring, although his chances do not look good.
Mr Ahern last night met the president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr Tom Parlon.