Milanovic said that huge amounts of money, more than a billion kuna, poured into the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund and that a lot of irregularities had been reported there as a result of which some people had ended up in pre-trial custody.

"That is why it is normal that political parties discuss candidates for such an important position because it requires political responsibility," Milanovic said, noting that the government was appointing people based on a political agreement almost on a daily basis. He said that the whole issue regarding the Fund and the people who would run it had been discussed four months ago and that he had not heard of any conflicts or threats at the time.

Milanovic said that no one, including Radimir Cacic, "can do anything by force because in the end the Cabinet decides about everything." "Stories about Mr Cacic exerting pressure or using force seem to me to be beside the point," he said, adding that in a government in which the Social Democratic Party (SDP) runs 75 per cent of ministries Cacic should not be blamed for anything but the blame should be directed at the SDP and him personally.

When asked to explain the difference between the email because of which Mirela Holy had resigned as Environment Minister and Cacic's emails in which he demanded that a party colleague of his be appointed in the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, Milanovic said that Holy had intervened to secure a job for "someone working out of public view", whereas Cacic had interceded on behalf of a candidate of his party for a very prominent position which was under public scrutiny.