Editing Joschka Fischer (section)

==Foreign minister==
[[File:Vladimir Putin 13 February 2001-2.jpg|thumb|Fischer with Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] on 13 February 2001]]

In September 1998, the Social Democratic Party of Germany, led by Gerhard Schröder, defeated the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] government of [[Helmut Kohl]]. The SPD's 41% and the Greens' 7% of the vote set the two parties on a possible path to government through a coalition. Schröder stated his preference for a red-green coalition, as did an overwhelming majority of SPD members.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} After several weeks of negotiations, a SPD-Green government took power on 27 October 1998, with Fischer appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs. By 2005, he was the second longest-serving foreign minister in German postwar history (after [[Hans-Dietrich Genscher]]).

In mid-April 1999, Germany came up with the first peace plan for the war in Kosovo, when Fischer produced a proposal, notably including Russia, that would have rewarded the beginning of a Yugoslav pullout from Kosovo with a bombing pause.<ref>Warren Hodge (4 June 1999), [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/04/world/crisis-balkans-memo-continent-europeans-impressed-their-own-unity.html Europeans Impressed By Their Own Unity] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> In May 1999, however, an antiwar protester flung a bag of red paint at Fischer during a party convention debating [[NATO bombing of Yugoslavia|NATO's airstrikes on Yugoslavia]] in the war over Kosovo; Fischer suffered a perforated eardrum.<ref>Tony Czuczka (23 September 2010), [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-09-23/green-party-s-trittin-hit-in-yoghurt-attack-at-hanover-anti-nuclear-event German Greens’ Trittin Hit in Yoghurt Attack, Police Says] ''[[Bloomberg News]]''.</ref>

In an effort to make it easier for antiwar critics to back Schröder's decision to send German [[Bundeswehr]] troops to [[Afghanistan]] in 2001, Fischer and Development Minister [[Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul]] announced a 256 million marks ($115 million) humanitarian-aid package for Afghan refugees.<ref>William Boston (15 November 2001), [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1005774857206960440 Germany's Schroeder Presses Coalition To Back Him With Vote of Confidence] ''[[Wall Street Journal]]''.</ref> In late 2001, Fischer hosted – under the auspices of the [[United Nations]] – a ten-day conference at the German [[Hotel Petersberg|government guesthouse]] above the Rhine River, where delegates from four Afghan factions signed the [[Bonn Agreement (Afghanistan)|Bonn Agreement]] establishing a transitional government for the country to replace the deposed [[Taliban]] regime.<ref>Peter Finn (28 November 2001), [https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2001/11/28/afghan-delegates-at-un-talks-in-germany-urge-tolerance/ Afghan Delegates At U.N. Talks In Germany Urge Tolerance] ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]''.</ref> At the time, Germany's longstanding links to Afghanistan and its 2001 chairmanship of the Afghanistan Support Group (consisting of countries pledging humanitarian and reconstruction aid for Afghanistan) were the reasons it was picked to host the meeting.<ref>[https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2001-11-22-14-afghan-66423982/550167.html Afghan Conference Switched to Bonn for Security Concerns] ''[[Voice of America]]'', 22 November 2001.</ref>

In September 2001, Fischer summoned Ahmad Azizi, the Iranian ambassador to Germany, for urgent talks after several reformist intellectuals – including [[Akbar Ganji]], [[Mehrangiz Kar]] and [[Ezzatollah Sahabi]] – were given prison sentences of between four and 10 years for participating in a [['Iran After the Elections' Conference|2000 academic and cultural conference]] sponsored by the [[Heinrich Böll Foundation]] in [[Berlin]] in late 2000.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1116536.stm Germany's 'concern' at Iran verdicts] ''[[BBC News]]'', 14 January 2001.</ref>

In 2005, critics charged that Fischer's relaxing of controls on visa regulations for [[Ukraine]], would allow illegal immigrants to enter Germany with fake identities.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/64507/ |title=Germany's Fischer preps Kyiv students for future |newspaper=[[Kyiv Post]] |date=21 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422232033/http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/64507/ |archive-date=22 April 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A parliamentary committee was established to examine the case, and unlike in other such committee hearings, Fischer's statement (and that of other top officials) was shown live on public television. Fischer's appearance before the committee lasted twelve hours. (See [[German Visa Affair 2005]]).

Fischer represented the German government at the funeral services for [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)|Foreign Minister]] [[Anna Lindh]] of [[Sweden]] on 19 September 2003 in [[Stockholm]]; [[Pope]] [[List of dignitaries at the funeral of Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]] on 8 April 2005 in [[Rome]]; and former [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|UK Foreign Secretary]] [[Robin Cook]] on 12 August 2005 in [[Edinburgh]].<ref>[https://www.irishtimes.com/news/cook-funeral-hears-blair-s-moral-failure-criticised-1.1181252 Cook funeral hears Blair's 'moral failure' criticised] ''[[Irish Times]]'', 12 August 2005.</ref>

After the defeat of the coalition government in the [[2005 German federal election|2005 election]], Fischer announced that he would retire to the backbench. "After 20 years of power, now I want my freedom back", Fischer said.<ref>Yassin Musharbash, [http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/fischers-bedingter-abschied-ich-will-die-freiheit-zurueck-a-375678.html "Fischers bedingter Abschied: 'Ich will die Freiheit zurück'"], ''Spiegel Online'' 20 September 2005.</ref> On 13 October 2005, it was announced that [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]] of the SPD would succeed Fischer as foreign minister.

===Western Balkans policy===
In 1999, Fischer supported German military participation in the [[Kosovo War]]. This proved to be a highly controversial position since Fischer's plan not only clashed with the largely [[pacifism|pacifist]] philosophy of The Greens, but because it also supported for the first time since [[World War II]] active participation of German soldiers in combat. Fischer justified this military involvement with allegations that [[Serbia]] was planning to commit [[genocide]] against the Kosovo [[Albanians]].

Fischer represented the German government at the funeral services for [[Prime Minister of Serbia|Prime Minister]] [[Zoran Đinđić]] of [[Serbia]] on 16 March 2003 (alongside Development Minister [[Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul]])<ref>José Comas (16 March 2003), [http://elpais.com/diario/2003/03/16/internacional/1047769221_850215.html Belgrado vive su mayor funeral desde Tito] ''[[El País]]''.</ref> and [[President of Macedonia|President]] [[Boris Trajkovski]] of [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]] on 5 March 2004 in [[Skopje]].

===Transatlantic relations===
[[File:Fischer und Paul Wolfowitz.jpg|thumb|Fischer and [[Paul Wolfowitz]] at [[the Pentagon]] on 19 September 2001]]
On fundamental issues like the [[International Criminal Court]], the [[Kyoto Protocol]], and the crisis in the Middle East, Fischer was openly differing with the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]].<ref>Steven Erlanger (21 July 2002), [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/21/weekinreview/the-world-america-the-invulnerable-the-world-looks-again.html The World; America the Invulnerable? The World Looks Again] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref>

In 1999, both Fischer and Justice Minister [[Herta Däubler-Gmelin]] appealed for [[clemency]] for the [[LaGrand case|LaGrand brothers]], two German citizens sentenced to death in [[Arizona]]. According to the German government, the LaGrands had been denied their rights as German citizens because prosecutors did not inform the German consulate of the brothers' arrest in 1982 until a decade later. However, both were put to death, one in a cloud of [[cyanide]] gas.<ref>Roger Cohen (5 March 1999), [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/05/us/us-execution-of-german-stirs-anger.html U.S. Execution of German Stirs Anger] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> In response, the European Union submitted an anti-death-penalty resolution to the [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights]].<ref>Elizabeth Olson (28 March 1999), [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/05/us/us-execution-of-german-stirs-anger.html U.S. Execution of German Stirs Anger] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref>

Although Fischer was in favour of stationing German troops in [[Afghanistan]], he advised chancellor Schröder not to join the war in [[Iraq]]. Fischer famously confronted [[United States Defense Secretary]] [[Donald Rumsfeld]] at the 39th [[Munich Security Conference]] in 2003 on the secretary's purported evidence for Iraq's possession of [[weapons of mass destruction]] (''"Excuse me, I am not convinced"'').

===Middle East policy===
Fischer has been criticized for attending a 1969 conference of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]], where [[Palestinians|Palestinian]] leader [[Yasser Arafat]] called for an all-out war on [[Israel]] "until the end".<ref>Paul Berman, ''Power and the Idealists'' (NY: Soft Skull Press, 2005), pp. 9-10, and Chapter 1, ''passim''.</ref>

During their time in government, both Fischer and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder were widely considered sincerely, if not uncritically, pro-Israeli.<ref>Steven Erlanger (7 April 2002), [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/07/weekinreview/the-world-the-jewish-question-europe-knows-who-s-to-blame-in-the-middle-east.html The World: The Jewish Question; Europe Knows Who's to Blame in the Middle East] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> In 1999, Fischer led a delegation including [[European Commissioner]] [[Manuel Marín]] and the European Union's Special Envoy to the Middle East [[Miguel Ángel Moratinos]] on a visit to Jerusalem and the [[Palestinian territories]], but also to a range of other countries which have a crucial role in the peace process, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.<ref>[http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-strives-to-keep-middle-east-peace-talks-alive/ EU strives to keep Middle East peace talks alive] ''[[European Voice]]'', 3 February 1999.</ref> By 2001, he emerged as a pivotal figure in the hopes for the [[Israeli–Palestinian peace process]], in part because he helped bring about a lull in the violence after the [[Dolphinarium discotheque massacre]] in June 2001. His intervention led to an announced cease-fire arranged by [[George Tenet]], the [[Director of Central Intelligence|United States Director of Central Intelligence]]; Fischer had been in Tel Aviv at the time of the blast.<ref>Deborah Sontag (3 June 2001), [https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/03/world/arafat-calls-for-cease-fire-deploring-tel-aviv-attack.html Arafat Calls for Cease-Fire, Deploring Tel Aviv Attack] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> Fischer later brokered a meeting between Arafat and the Israeli foreign minister, [[Shimon Peres]], to discuss how to implement the cease-fire.<ref>[[Clyde Haberman]] (22 August 2001), [https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/22/world/new-middle-east-peace-bid-brokered-by-german-envoy.html New Middle East Peace Bid Brokered by German Envoy] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref>

In July 2002, Fischer presented a proposal that called for Arafat to appoint an interim prime minister. After the vote, the proposal said, elected officials could continue democratic reforms leading to a provisional Palestinian state by the end of 2003 and to final borders by 2005.<ref>[[Todd S. Purdum]] (12 July 2002), [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/12/world/bush-s-mideast-consultations-proceed-quietly.html Bush's Mideast Consultations Proceed, Quietly] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> He represented the German government at the funeral services for Arafat on 12 November 2004 in [[Cairo]] and at the inauguration of the new Holocaust Memorial Museum at [[Yad Vashem]] in March 2005.<ref>Steven Erlanger (16 March 2005), [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/16/world/middleeast/new-museum-putting-a-human-face-on-the-holocaust-opens-in.html New Museum, Putting a Human Face on the Holocaust, Opens in Israel] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref>

===European integration===
In May 2000, Fischer proposed the creation of a [[European Federation|European federation]] with a directly elected president and parliament sharing real executive and legislative powers. Fischer proposed the eventual enactment of a constitutional treaty that would set out which powers were to be shifted to the new European executive and parliament, and those that remained at national level.<ref>Roger Cohen (15 May 2000), [https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/15/world/german-urges-europe-create-central-body-for-governing.html German Urges Europe Create Central Body For Governing] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> In response, [[President of France|President]] [[Jacques Chirac]] of France urged Germany in June 2000 to join France in spearheading a core group of European Union countries that would move faster than others toward political and economic union.<ref>[[Suzanne Daley]] (28 June 2000), [https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/28/world/french-leader-in-berlin-urges-a-fast-track-to-unity-in-europe.html French Leader, in Berlin, Urges A Fast Track to Unity in Europe] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref>

In October 2002, Fischer was appointed by the German government to the [[Convention on the Future of Europe]], replacing [[Peter Glotz]]. Fischer had expressed a keen interest in taking part in the convention during the coalition talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder following the [[2002 German federal election|2002 elections]].<ref>Martin Banks (23 October 2002), [http://www.politico.eu/article/mixed-reaction-to-convention-role-for-fischer-2/ Mixed reaction to Convention role for Fischer] ''[[European Voice]]''.</ref> In a paper jointly signed by Fischer and French Foreign Minister [[Dominique de Villepin]], in November 2002, Germany and France pushed for a [[Defense pact|mutual defence commitment]] to be part of the constitution.<ref>Dana Spinant (12 March 2003), [http://www.politico.eu/article/does-eu-need-a-mutual-defence-pact/ Does EU need a mutual defence pact?] ''[[European Voice]]''.</ref> In 2004, he was one of the [[signatories to the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe]].

====Relations with Russia====
Fischer has long been critical of Russia, especially on human rights.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/node/14041654 Joschka Fischer v Gerhard Schröder] ''[[The Economist]]''.</ref> However, during his time as foreign minister, Germany's relations with Russia were primarily guided by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. In 2004, Fischer called on Ukraine to hold a recount of the [[2004 Ukrainian presidential election|presidential elections]] after Putin-backed candidate [[Viktor Yanukovich]] was the first to declare his victory despite mass protests in Kyiv.<ref>Arkady Ostrovsky (24 November 2004), [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/597ac7d8-3dbe-11d9-abe0-00000e2511c8.html Vote's outcome seen as defining moment for Moscow] ''[[Financial Times]]''.</ref>