STORY: FEDERAL MINISTER OF FINANCE CHRISTIAN LINDNER (FDP) ON WEDNESDAY IN BERLIN: “The cornerstones of the Inflation Compensation Act are a higher basic allowance that is completely exempt from tax. A change in the linear-progressive tax rate. The basic tariff values are shifted to the right, a higher child benefit and associated with this is a higher child allowance. These measures, which are intended to compensate for the cold progression, have state funding of 10 billion euros and would therefore avert this tax increase. 48 million people would benefit if this inflation compensation law were passed. Pensioners, employees subject to social security contributions , Self-employed people across the board are affected. The average volume of a burden averted is 192 euros.” // “In order not to be misunderstood, ladies and gentlemen, you can very well be politically in favor of tax increases in this situation. As you know, I’m not. But of course you can be in the political competition for tax increases. But then that’s my opinion necessary to campaign for it in public and in Parliament and to organize a majority. So if there is a political majority for a different distribution policy and a tax increase, then that is democratic. But to achieve a tax increase secretly through omission, so to speak, that’s what I think also not democratically justifiable.”