Germany narrowly avoided a government crisis last night when a Green Party conference rejected a motion calling for an immediate unconditional end to NATO's bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. But the party backed a demand for a temporary suspension of air strikes to allow for an intensified search for a diplomatic solution to the Kosovo conflict.
The Greens are now at odds with the official policy of Germany's centre-left government, in which they share power with the Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, and his Social Democrats. But yesterday's vote represents an important victory for the Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, and for the party leadership, who sponsored the compromise motion.
Mr Fischer was taken to hospital for a short time after an antiwar protester hurled a paint bomb at him, perforating his eardrum. More than 500 people demonstrated outside the conference hall in the northern town of Bielefeld and police detained 60 protesters.
The debate was interrupted repeatedly by noisy protests inside the hall, one of which was led by a long-haired, naked man. The protesters were allowed to address the meeting but their arguments had little effect, despite the deep divisions NATO's campaign has created within the Greens.
Mr Fischer made the most impassioned speech of the day, imploring the party to back his search for a just peace in the Balkans. But he insisted that no settlement was possible unless President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia withdrew his forces from Kosovo and allowed the ethnic Albanian refugees to return home in safety.
"Peace demands that people are not murdered, people are not deported and women are not raped. Milosevic must not prevail and we must not agree anything that moves in that direction," he said.
His jacket still smeared with red paint, Mr Fischer had to battle during his speech against a chorus of whistles and cries of "murderer" and "warmonger". Clearly shaken by the paint bomb attack, he accused his attackers of attempting to stifle democratic debate within the party.
A clear majority of delegates backed the party leadership motion which backs the decision to bomb Yugoslavia but criticises the conduct of NATO's campaign and calls for a temporary bombing pause to facilitate the search for a peaceful solution.
The motion supports Mr Fischer's peace plan, which was rejected by Britain and the US, and the G8 principles agreed in Bonn last week by the seven leading industrial nations and Russia.
Rejecting the deployment of NATO ground forces in Kosovo as an unacceptable escalation of the military campaign, the motion suggests that a ceasefire could be extended if Mr Milosevic withdraws his forces from the province.
A number of pacifists said last night that they would now leave the Greens but Ms Annelie Buntenbach, who sponsored a motion calling for an unconditional halt to the bombing, pleaded with anti-war activists to remain in the party.
"A substantial minority supported us. It's clear that we'll carry on working against this war and for peace," she said.
Although Mr Schroder made it clear that he was content with last night's outcome, his government is now under massive pressure to suspend the air strikes against Yugoslavia. Mr Fischer, who has been frustrated by a lack of enthusiasm in London and Washington for his attempts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, was eager last night to reassure his pacifist opponents within the Greens.
"After this debate, which was very important for us, I feel more obliged than ever to incorporate the Green's peace policy into government policy," he said.
