Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor told Croatian Television on Friday night that parliamentary elections would be held in late 2011, as announced previously.
Kosor was commenting on some opposition parties' suggestions that the elections be held next March or April, towards the end of Croatia's accession negotiations with the European Union.
Kosor wondered if it made any sense that those claiming that the government did not know what it was doing, that it was incompetent, still agreed that the government should wrap up the negotiations.
She called on opposition leaders to agree on how they could help so that the negotiations were completed as soon as possible and so that Croatia could sign the accession treaty in mid-2011.
Kosor said the statement by Zoran Milanovic, leader of the strongest opposition party, the Social Democrats, about plans to move that parliament vote on confidence in the government, was coordinated with the activation of former PM Ivo Sanader's parliamentary mandate.
"We feel that's a coordinated action. If they move the vote, they should count on failure, because the ruling coalition is strong and stable."
Kosor said three parties in the ruling coalition - her Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), the Peasant Party, and the Independent Democratic Serb Party - met on Friday in preparation of an upcoming meeting of the entire coalition which would discuss next year's budget and other issues.
That meeting once again shows that the coalition is stable, which also refers to MPs from the HDZ, she said.
"Regardless of whatever speculation, the HDZ MPs firmly stand by the HDZ leadership."
Kosor also announced that she would soon meet with her Slovenian counterpart, Borut Pahor, and that she would visit Brussels for talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
"Prime Minister Pahor and I concluded over the phone (on Thursday) that we are doing a good job which is based on mutual trust, on good neighbourly relations," she said, adding, "We are planning to meet again so that we can agree even better economic cooperation".
"I will meet with Barroso in about 10 days. I have requested a meeting at which we would recapitulate what has been done so far and talk about the remaining issues," Kosor said, adding that she would ask Barroso "to help with his authority so that Croatia can keep this moment which is extremely important for the completion of the negotiations".
Kosor said she would come to Brussels with a summary of what had been done and a plan of what she intended to do in the coming days.
