Ivan Vrdoljak

Amid an ongoing crisis in the ruling coalition in Croatia, with the junior coalition partner, the Croatian People's Party, HNS, threatening the senior Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, that it will vote against the draft budget for 2020, speculation grows about about the coalition collapsing.

The likely result of an upcoming non-confidence vote on Croatia's Science and Education Minister Pavo Barisic is still unclear as both governing and opposition parties voice conflicting views.

Croatian Culture Minister Andrea Zlatar Violic was facing dismissal on Monday following reports that auditors found she took money from the ministry account - only to later return it to the budget in instalments.

The case is seen as a test of the centre-left coalition governments' claim to be more ethically moral than its scandal-ridden, right-wing predecssor.