Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Zoran Milanovic said faith and optimism in Croatia had been killed and that this must change, adding that the coalition's task was to make brave and well-considered decisions and not painful cuts.

"We seek the citizens' trust for changes and decisions that we will make together with them," Milanovic said, adding that "we are responsible for our success as well as for possibly bad decisions."

He said the southern Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik would be connected with the rest of the country by a modern motorway passing from the Ploce seaport through the Neretva river valley and neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Dubrovnik coastline.

Milanovic said talks about a bridge that would connect the Peljesac peninsula with the mainland were a deception of the public.

He said one of the fundamental tenets of the opposition coalition was fighting for a Croatia with a stable budget and in which every citizen was in the black.

Croatian People's Party (HNS) president Radimir Cacic said it was time for a legitimate, smart and honest government, adding that energy and tourism would be among the coalition's priorities if it won the election. "Our job is to use and awaken Croatia's potential and the government will steer the state towards development."

The coalition's economic strategist, Branko Grcic, highlighted the need for new investment and renewing production and increasing export as soon as possible. "We are willing to make key decisions ourselves and will do everything to avoid the IMF," he said.