Scholz promises quick solution to latest conflict within his coalition government

(Patria) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promises that his coalition government will quickly resolve the dispute over
child benefits that has disrupted attempts to move past months of damaging public
conflicts, AP reported.

The Social Democrat Scholz leads a coalition of three parties that are largely socially liberal. But their approaches to economic and other issues often clash, especially between his two junior partners: the environmentalist, traditionally left-leaning Greens and the business-oriented Free Democrats. The latter two clashed earlier this year over a plan to replace the fossil fuel heating systems in homes, which led to a decline in the government's approval ratings in polls.

Top officials had hoped to project a more unified image after the summer break, but more problems have erupted since the government held its first meeting after the holidays on August 16. Lisa Paus of the Greens, the minister for families, blocked a plan by Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the leader of the Free Democrats, for tax breaks for companies, which were intended to help Germany's struggling economy.

This followed months of attempts by Paus to get more money from Lindner for a plan to expand child benefits, which many Free Democrats view skeptically.

Scholz told the Mediengruppe Bayern news group that the government would “clarify by next week” the shape of the child benefit plan. He said he could “only warn” against further public discussions. “We should concentrate more on highlighting the successes of the government's work and conduct the necessary discussions about our plans internally,” Scholz added.

In the past two weeks, the Cabinet has approved the main parts of the coalition's social reform program, plans to ease the rules for obtaining German citizenship, liberalize the rules on possession and sale of cannabis, and make it easier for transgender, intersex, and non-binary people to change their sex and name in official registers.

The Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday.