Asked if VAT would be increased, Opacic said she could not say yet, as the state of affairs in every ministry had yet to be audited.

She said the SDP-led Kukuriku coalition, which won Sunday's parliamentary election, was ready to take over the government, adding that some models had been drawn up but that it was not yet familiar with basic parameters. She said that in Great Britain opposition parties were entitled to enter ministries six months before elections and obtain all relevant information, so that from day one of coming to power they could launch concrete laws.

"We in Croatia, with all our mechanisms, weren't able to get even one relevant piece of information, so we have to enter the ministries to see the state of affairs, where cuts can be made."

Opacic said as many budgetary funds as possible would be made available to Croatian business people through the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development, because the current interest on business loans prevented them from developing their enterprises. She added that this would be one of the biggest budgetary changes.

Asked about the reasons for abolishing the position of state secretary, Opacic said the reason was saving through by downsizing the number of state officials.

"There are six to 10 state secretaries in the ministries now who mainly gave orders and had the status of state official. We will have one deputy minister, the rest will be assistants or directors."

"Who came with one policy should leave with it" and the state administration needs to be shaken a bit, because it is an inert and dormant structure which should be in the function of every citizen and the economy, Opacic said, adding that those who did their job professionally need not fear for their jobs.

Asked about deadlines for the announced decentralisation, Opacic said all preparations would be made before the May 2013 local election so that those running for the leading positions in local self-government units knew what their job would be.

She said the Kukuriku coalition did not plan to abolish counties or municipalities for now, adding that decentralisation referred to "delegating certain jobs and money to the local level."

Opacic said energy would be a long term project, whose plan would be presented soon, and that public procurement would be available to every citizen and taxpayer.