When the Green leader, Mr Joschka Fischer, became Germany's Foreign Minister, some senior diplomats feared that this self-educated former taxi driver would introduce an unwelcome air of informality to the office. After all, when he was sworn in as a land minister in 1985, Mr Fischer - who visits Ireland today as part of a tour of European capitals - wore a T-shirt and jeans.
The diplomats need not have fretted because, since becoming Foreign Minister, Mr Fischer has become a model of sartorial propriety, stepping out in three-piece Armani suits and elegant silk ties.
This reassuringly conservative look was accompanied during the Minister's first days in office by a campaign to persuade Germany's partners that there would be no dramatic change in the country's foreign policy.
Washington, London and Paris seemed convinced at first that they had little to fear from a Green Foreign Minister.
But everything changed last month when Mr Fischer proposed that NATO should change its nuclear strategy to rule out using nuclear weapons first in any conflict. He was simply repeating a policy which is part of his government's programme. However, the reaction from Washington was icy and, when Mr Fischer outlined his proposal to NATO leaders in Brussels, it was emphatically rejected.
He waded into hot water again when he outlined his vision of a federal Europe with one army, one constitution and a single status under international law.
Mr Fischer would argue that he is simply ahead of the pack with his ideas.
It is true that many defence experts believe that the changing nature of the threat to NATO may persuade the western alliance to adopt a "no first strike" nuclear policy. And Economic and Monetary Union is likely to accelerate the pace of European integration so that Mr Fischer's federal vision may soon seem less far-fetched.
However, there is little doubt that he displayed a lack of judgment in raising such controversial issues so early in his career and many of his former admirers are already expressing disappointment with his performance.
Some are comparing him to his British counterpart, Mr Robin Cook, another gifted parliamentary performer who seems less sure-footed as a minister.
During his visit to Ireland today, Mr Fischer will outline Germany's plans for its six-month EU presidency. With the Agenda 2000 reforms hanging in the balance, along with plans for a Europe-wide action plan against unemployment, the German presidency will be crucial in determining the course of the EU for the next five years.
Michael Adler reports from Bonn:
The German government yesterday postponed until mid-January plans to present a draft bill banning nuclear energy, fearful that it would damage the ruling coalition, a government spokeswoman said.
The Government spokeswoman, Ms Uwe-Karsten Heye, said the cabinet had decided that the Greens and the Social Democrats (SPD) of the Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, would try to reach agreement in talks in Berlin on January 13th.
The Environment Minister, Mr Jurgen Trittin, of the Greens, had said he would make public the nuclear energy Bill this week, well ahead of the planned parliamentary debate in February.
Mr Trittin also said the processing of nuclear waste, which Germany contracts out to France, Britain and the Netherlands, should stop immediately.
However, a rift has broken out between Mr Trittin and the Economy Minister, Mr Werner Muller, who is an Independent but aligned with the SPD.
Mr Trittin claims he is just following to the letter what the SPD and the Greens agreed in their coalition contract signed in October when they took power. The contract calls for a law on abandoning nuclear energy to be proposed as soon as possible but set no timetable for closing down nuclear power stations.
Mr Muller has charged that Mr Trittin is ruining government co-operation by moving ahead unilaterally.
The nuclear industry, which supplies a third of Germany's electricity, has told Mr Schroder it wants to be consulted before the law is changed. The formal government-industry talks are to start in January.
Mr Schroder, who has made his political career by taking business interests into account, met on Monday with key energy companies. Mr Muller, but not Mr Trittin, was invited to this meeting. Mr Schroder said after the talks with the energy companies that he was optimistic an agreement could be reached.