Milanovic told reporters outside the SDP headquarters that the government-sponsored draft was "a budget without character", adding that his party would not submit amendments to the budget.

"We did not submit amendments last year either," Milanovic said.

However, he voiced satisfaction with the government's announcement about the adoption of a law on fiscal responsibility, adding that this bill was proposed by his party a year ago.

Asked to comment on claims by People's Party leader Radimir Cacic that the government should have sent this bill to parliament much earlier and not now, when Croatia was consumed by the crisis, Milanovic reiterated the SDP had proposed this bill a year ago.

Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU) president Silvano Hrelja told a news conference in the northern Adriatic city of Rijeka that his party could not back the draft budget.

He stressed the government had not given up on anything, adding that no progress had been made.