Germany's Green Party is based on a stable identity, an established structure, and a clearly identifiable set of options to exercise political power. This contribution outlines the core content of the party's programme and analyses the effects of recent surges in electoral support. Understanding this dynamic is important to differentiate between fictional and real possibilities for political manoeuvring. Further limitations are imposed by the party's modest ability to engage in strategic planning, demonstrating that the only way out of the traditionalism-based position of a small party is to be found in professionalised forms of steering, as embodied by Germany's two large catch-all parties. The contradictions between values and interests arising from this dilemma indicate that, in spite of a number of coalition experiments at the Länder level, the clear pledge to an alliance with the Social Democrats in the upcoming federal election campaign is likely to be a successful strategy as it takes into account the positive effect of Green traditionalism while resisting the (understandable but destabilising) urge to expand into unknown terrain.