Germany's ruling coalition went on the offensive yesterday over the visa abuse scandal that has damaged the government's political standing, choosing to allow Joschka Fischer, foreign minister, to appear next month before a parliamentary inquiry into the affair.

Mr Fischer's scheduled appearance on April 25, agreed yesterday by the inquiry panel, is much earlier than initially envisaged by the coalition, and represents an attempt to regain the political upper hand ahead of a key regional election in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia on May 22.