Berto Salaj

Almost half of high-school students that will soon be eligible to vote don't know the definition of dictatorship or constitution, and less than half can correctly name the prime minister, who constitutes the opposition or how ministers in the government are chosen.

Controversial former Culture Minister Zlatko Hasanbegovic, along with other two independent right-wing MPs - Bruna Esih and Zeljko Glasnovic - could withdraw their support for the government led by the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, an analyst told BIRN.

Experts have given a cautious response to claims that managers of Croatian state companies will in future be selected through public tenders - not as a result of political ties.