Minister Ćorić has cast himself as the guardian of the budget in the ongoing negotiations with the unions. His response to their demands was sharp and left little room for manoeuvre. The unions have tabled requests that add up to more than a billion euros. Everyone at the negotiating table knows that his primary task is to protect state finances. Some of those involved are convinced he will not soften in the rounds of dialogue still to come. The reasoning is simple: a bill of that size would do serious damage to the treasury. Talks are set to continue despite the hard positions on both sides. For now, the gap between what the unions want and what the minister is willing to give remains wide.