Speaking to the press, Kosor would not comment on media reports that June 23 should be the day of the completion of the negotiations but voiced confidence that they would be wrapped up by the end next month.

"We in the government aren't talking about a date, we are talking about how to finish the job," she said, adding that the final report on Chapter 23 in the acquis communautaire, the one regulating the judiciary and fundamental rights, would be ready by Thursday and that it would show what Croatia had done and intended to do regarding the chapter.

Commenting on criticisms about the lack of reforms, she reiterated that "reforms are being carried out, difficult ones, because each of the more than 120 benchmarks for opening and closing chapters is one big and demanding reform that we carried out and we should be proud of that."

Kosor said she believed the time would come soon when she would be able to publicly say what Croatia had negotiated and thank everyone who contributed to that.

Asked if one could expect parliament elections to be held in late November if the negotiations were completed by the end of June, Kosor said the ruling coalition and her HDZ party would discuss the election date after the completion of the negotiations, adding that at the moment they were focused on that and the implementation of the economic recovery programme.

Kosor recalled that the completion of the negotiations would be followed by the signing of the accession treaty, voicing confidence that this would happen by the end of the year, to be followed by a 30-day deadline for holding a referendum on EU accession.

Reporters asked if she thought Croatia would get a chance to prosecute former PM Ivo Sanader, who is in custody in Austria.

Kosor said she could not say anything on the matter, as she was at the helm of the executive authority. "Everything you are asking is in the hands of the judiciary and the Croatian judiciary is completely independent," she said.