"The police responded appropriately and very professionally," Josipovic told reporters.

He said the scenes in Zagreb on Saturday were unpleasant, adding there were two groups of people present - one who legitimately and legally expressed their dissatisfaction, and the other, a group of bullies because of whom UEFA president Michel Platini handed him a letter earlier this week.

Asked if some opposition parties were behind the hooligans' protest yesterday, Josipovic said the hooligans came "on their business," while the "real protesters" in the main square were veterans who had their reasons to protests and citizens disgruntled with the economic situation.

Josipovic said he had no information that some opposition parties were behind the hooligans' attacks on the police.

"I don't believe that anyone financed the hooligans. I don't know about it," he said, adding that some rightist parties helped some protesters from other parts of Croatia to come to the rally, "but this is part of politics."

He said some of the messages from the veterans' rally were such that absolutely everyone in politics must hear them, especially the government, messages about the difficult economic situation, about the difficult life of many people and veterans, about the dignity of the Homeland War.

Josipovic added, however, that there were also messages that he disagreed with, such as those about driving the Serbs out of Vukovar.

Asked to comment on the fact that the finger was pointed at him at yesterday's protests, he said that was a "democratic right," stressing that he had done everything within his powers so that the case of Tihomir Purda would end as it should and that the results would soon be visible. Purda is a Croatian war veteran in custody in Bosnia awaiting a State Court ruling on Serbia's extradition plea over war crimes charges.

Asked if he agreed with those saying that early elections should be called as soon as possible, Josipovic said that under the constitution, it was not up to the president to either invoke or oppose parliamentary elections.

"It's first and foremost up to the opposition to possibly lead a movement for early elections. The president of the republic is not the leader of the opposition."

Asked if a catastrophe was ahead of Croatia given hooligans' announcements that what happened yesterday was not the end, Josipovic was hopeful that the police would arrest everyone who endangered public order and citizens' security.

Asked if the state was losing the battle against violence, he said "Croatia must not lose the battle against violence." The battle is not fought only through laws, which are only one means, and it is much more important to enforce them well and to recognise problems, he added.

Commenting on violence at stadiums, Josipovic said "on the one hand, there is the responsibility of the state and the need to enforce even very strict measures against the young people who don't watch sporting events in a civilised manner. On the other, one should identify the problems in sports, which are certainly part of that."

He recalled that his assessments of certain criminal activities in football had been confirmed. "We already have convictions for match-fixing and we very often seen non-transparent operations and, literally, huge amounts of money rolling in some sports."

Josipovic said it was high time for all in Croatia to live under equal conditions, that everyone paid taxes and abide by law and order.

Asked if he had signed the appointment of Chief of Staff Drago Lovric, Josipovic said there would be a change and that "the issue of the direction in which the Armed Forces will be reorganised will be solved soon."