"The President did something that was uncommon, he called consultations with the parties, and now it's clear to us who is in favour of what," Milanovic said.

Milanovic recalled that his party said two weeks ago that setting an election date would relax the situation on the political scene. He said that elections should be held within "a short, reasonable period of time, which November certainly is not." "That's what many people in Croatia think and obviously representatives of many parties, too."

Commenting on the statement by Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor that Croatia was a parliamentary democracy, Milanovic said that the statement was addressed to President Josipovic to remain on the sidelines. He said that Kosor did not want to come to Parliament except at the invitation of those who accepted her as a legitimate prime minister, and added that the SDP accepted her as a legal prime minister, but stressed that she did not have legitimacy, even in her own party.

"I am inviting her to meet me face to face in a public debate," Milanovic said. He pledged that if the SDP won the next election and he became Prime Minister, he would make it possible for the president of the strongest opposition party to discuss the state of the nation with him in public.

"That's my invitation to Mrs Kosor. No secret talks, no talks behind the public's back, because no important subject at the moment, not even Chapter 23, should be discussed in secret," he said.

When asked about his relationship with the Prime Minister, whether it was good or it was characterised by a clash of vanities, Milanovic said that the problem lay in the legitimacy of the HDZ's power and in Kosor "who does not have legitimacy even in her own party."

"Perhaps under normal circumstances I wouldn't say this, but if she doesn't have the guts to call elections in her own party, I'm afraid she won't do it at state level either. And we need elections," the SDP president said.

When asked to describe his relationship with Kosor and that between her HDZ and the SDP, Milanovic said they were rivals vying for power to run the country.

"The SDP is a democratic, modern and pro-European party, while the HDZ is not. The HDZ obviously had huge problems with the law, with funding, with its attitude towards public finance and public companies. Many were aware of it and were involved in it," he said.

When the TV host remarked that "not all HDZ people are criminals", Milanovic responded by asking: "Which member of the SDP ever said that?" He added that some people in his party, who he said were not his spokespersons, had said that "the leadership of the HDZ is of a certain nature, as some of their actions unfortunately confirm."

Commenting on the move by Croatian National Bank Governor Zeljko Rohatinski to release 6.3 billion kuna into the banking system for loans to enterprises, Milanovic said it was good in a way, but uncommon.

"We should ask ourselves why is everyone behaving unusually, like Governor Rohatinski and President Josipovic. Is everyone a sworn enemy of the HDZ or are they confident that they are working in Croatian interests," he said.