It is good manners on the left and the social organizations to dismiss an intervention in the tax rates announced as relief as "socially unjust", especially when an FDP politician is in charge.

It is only unusual if this FDP politician has red-green coalition partners.

A confusing picture emerges for the voters.

Is the left part of the government now suddenly moving into the red-red-green opposition, while the CDU/CSU opposition (not for the first time) allies itself with the Federal Minister of Finance?

The Chancellor gave a preventive signal in this matter on the day Christian Lindner's plans were presented.

Olaf Scholz assured his minister of his "fundamental goodwill".

Old quarrel is now boiling up again

So the SPD and the Greens should actually be clear on the route to be taken.

But now something is boiling up again, which has already weighed on the coalition negotiations, but now in a much narrower scope: Can there be tax relief without redistribution?

Lindner's correction of the "cold progression" should be welcomed all the more.

He is just continuing what every finance minister should do, which is why Olaf Scholz did when he was still there.

In the course of such adjustments, lower and middle incomes benefit significantly more than higher and highest incomes, depending on their tax payments.

In Lindner's case, for the "rich" it is even a hidden additional burden, because nothing should change for them in terms of progression.

Red (red) green resistance

However, the Greens and SPD will not let up in the course of other relief measures that demand gas prices and inflation, taking from above to giving from below.

Of course, the keywords wealth tax and debt brake are often mentioned again.

Lindner cannot let his ten billion package be picked apart.

Otherwise, for the FDP, which in any case is not a beneficiary of this coalition, the question of the opposition actually still arises.

So Scholz has good reason to welcome Lindner's suggestions at least "in principle".

The hot autumn could otherwise become the autumn of his chancellorship.