Ever since June 1999, when Ilka Schröder was elected to the European Parliament for Germany's environmentalist Greens, the junior partner in Berlin's governing center-left coalition, the pugnacious economics student has been the terror of the Brussels assembly with her provocative political demands and vitriolic verbal attacks.

Schröder's credo is "politics should be all about putting the finger on the sore spot," even if that means antagonizing your friends. Since the youngster from Berlin, like many of her party's rank and file, is an uncompromising conservationist and anti-militarist, the first target of her criticism has not been the political opposition but the top brass of her own party, whom she feels have betrayed the ideals of the past. "Green politics no longer has anything in common with the original platform," she complains.

favorite music French rappers Massilia Sound System and MC Solaar favorite book The Third Reich: A New History favorite sport Juggling

When the Greens' executive supported Germany's participation in nato's military action in Kosovo, Schröder believes, it violated one of the party's most fundamental tenets: pacifism. "All those who want to ensure that Germany can keep waging war really must vote for the Greens in the 2002 election," Schröder wrote in her news bulletin Pause for Thought, which is published eight times a year. Annoyed by what she calls the Greens' "misanthropic immigra-tion policies," she demanded E.U. subsidies for people-smuggling rings to help immigrants enter "Fortress Europe."

With such grandstanding political gestures it's little wonder that Schröder has become the target of criticism herself. Fellow Greens in the European Parliament have called her a "mischief-maker" and a "pain in the neck" and even demanded her expulsion from the party. Despite such censure, Schröder remains undeterred. "In contrast to [BRACKET "German Foreign Minister Joschka"] Fischer & Co., my political statements are firmly grounded in the Green manifesto," she contends.

Although Schröder's antics have caused discord, she could still be an asset to the party. As a forceful reminder of just how much the Green leadership has alienated the organization's left-wing grassroots since it came to power, Schröder could help re-invigorate the party's flagging spirit.