"We are completing the negotiations in this beautiful June. Croatia is becoming the 28th member of the European Union and Croatian an official language of the EU," she said at a meeting of her Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party.

She thanked everyone in parliament who "raised their hands" in favour of a border arbitration agreement with Slovenia "at a time when those who now want to assume Croatia's leadership at any cost were against it."

She said the HDZ had been in favour of the agreement from the start. "That was the key moment. The (EU accession) negotiations were unblocked and we went on with at full force," Kosor said, adding that many had not supported her party, even though that agreement was for Croatia and not for the HDZ.

She recalled the "countless" attempts to topple her cabinet, saying that toppling the government and stopping the EU entry talks had been a constant intention.

"Had the government been toppled last year or early this year, we wouldn't have completed the negotiations and become a member of the EU, which is now certain."

Kosor promised her party's members that the HDZ would win the forthcoming parliamentary election and said that without a stable and strong HDZ, there was no stable Croatia.

She said this was the HDZ's 22nd anniversary and recalled the role of the party's and Croatia's first president, Franjo Tudjman, stressing that Croatia's independence, the victory in the Homeland War, and accession to NATO and now to the EU were HDZ-led victories.

Kosor said the HDZ must open the doors to young people and give them a chance. "The first opportunity for that will be when we will be making the slates for the parliamentary election."

She also mentioned those who she said had lived and worked contrary to the HDZ's original programme and Croatian laws. "We all deeply regret all that," she said.

Kosor said the HDZ was a party of honourable and honest people and that members must do their best to restore the trust lost "because of those who didn't live in accordance with man's and God's laws."

She went on to say that the government had to launch difficult reforms in the past two years and that "we were totally alone in all the difficult moments." She thanked the ruling coalition partners for their help.

Kosor mentioned the difficult restructuring of the shipyards and, commenting on the situation in the economy, said Croatia was coming out of the crisis this year, as the latest indicators showed that exports, industrial output and tourism results were growing, while unemployment was declining.

Kosor stressed the importance of pursuing the fight against corruption and crime. "It must remain strong, determined and involve everyone," she said, adding that the HDZ had opened the doors to the fight against corruption "as wide as possible."

"But now we expect all other political parties to open their doors wide too," Kosor said.

More than 700 members attended the meeting of the HDZ Main Committee. Ten new members joined the party, including Defence Minister Davor Bozinovic, state secretaries Ivana Mrkonjic and Andrej Plenkovic, and the chief state inspector, Robert Markt.