Thanking those present for their support, Pusic said she was aware of her responsibility towards the party and the country. "Without a civic centrist party, without a party brave enough to advocate new projects, there is no progress for the country and no good policy in Croatia," she said.

Pusic was the only candidate for the post after Radimir Cacic formally stepped down as the party's leader at the start of the convention.

Addressing the delegates before being elected, Pusic said that the HNS was in a difficult and complex situation due to a combination of circumstances. She presented a five-point platform and expressed her confidence that, if elected, she would manage to implement it with the help of the membership.

In order to improve its rating, Pusic said that the HNS should revive its creative energy and become an unavoidable factor on the Croatian political scene in creating a pleasant society and a decent state.

"We must take advantage of the unfavourable circumstances to transform the HNS into a modern political party of tomorrow," she said, highlighting the need to include young people in politics.

Cacic resigned because he has to serve a prison term for causing a fatal car accident in Hungary three years ago. He said he was withdrawing from politics and would not be able to help the party in the forthcoming period, but expressed confidence that HNS candidates would enter the European Parliament and would increase the number of seats in local elections, due in May.

The HNS is a junior partner in the Social Democratic Party (SDP)-led government of Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic. Pusic serves in the government as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs.