"That's unacceptable for me", Milanovic told a press conference at the government, adding that he had only found out about it the day before because he does not "have spies in the system".

I spoke to the minister today and that situation will change. She reacted as I would like and I expect them to make the next move, he said.

"We in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) don't employ people who have a relationship with any of us", Milanovic underscored, adding that he expected coalition partners to act the same.

"If that's not clear to them and they aren't from my party, I'll remind them sometimes and I'll have to set the line of toleration as we go and set criteria", he added and recalled that the SDP had ousted members who "had their own ideas of public procurement and relationships toward public money".

All parties have the same responsibility, Milanovic said, adding that he had excellent cooperation with Croatian People's Party (HNS) leaders Deputy Prime Minister Vesna Pusic and Economy Minister Ivan Vrdoljak.

"When high level politics are concerned, that's it, and when private petty interests are in question, which some people simply cannot resist, then that transcends parties and becomes mere human weakness", Milanovic said.

He underscored that he would oppose the habits of some people who "treat what is public and what is the state's as their own" regardless of what party they came from.

He did not agree with a reporter's comment that all this resembled a chicken shed. "I don't think this is a chicken shed, but there are some irregularities and I am not satisfied with how things are functioning", he said.

HNS Vice President Pusic said that the situation concerning Plinacro would be handled according to laws and regulations.

Pusic was responding to journalists over a scandal after the press reported that the construction minister's husband was illegally employed in Plinacro.

"First I would like to tell you some good news, that the Slovenian parliament will most likely put the ratification of Croatia's accession treaty on its agenda for April 2, and as far as the business of that company is concerned, everything will be according to the law and regulations and nothing beyond that", she said.

"If the law has been broken, penalties will surely follow. That is how we function and how we will continue to function in the future", said Pusic.

Minister Mrak Taritas' husband was given a job in the state run Plinacro company in October last year.

She said her husband Zlatko Taritas would terminate his contract of employment in Plinacro, adding that she did not plan to resign over media speculations that her husband got the job in that state-owned company through political favouratism.

Mrak Taritas said her husband got the job in Plinacro before she was appointed minister.