"Fighting corruption off and on, when push comes to shove, is not a real policy. A real policy would be one aimed at ensuring corruption-free living and politics," Milanovic said at a session of the SDP Main Committee in Zagreb.

The leader of the strongest opposition party said that there had been only lip-service democracy in Croatia in the past 20 years, with state institutions doing only part of their job and citizens showing enormous patience.

"But that is beginning to change, people are dissatisfied with how closed the government, parliament and political parties are, and they are expressing their dissatisfaction through other channels," said Milanovic.

He wondered why some crucial policy areas in Croatia's EU entry talks were being closed only now.

"How come that the most sensitive areas, the judiciary and the rule of law, are under such close scrutiny only weeks or months before the closing of the talks. It must mean that the system is not good," he said, wondering if this could really be changed in only few months.

"Upon admission to the EU, the real work only begins," he said.

Recalling that this was the first time in 11 years that the election date was not known in the election year, he said that his party would not promise 100,000, 200,000 or 400,000 jobs, but would rather tell voters "All to work, work for all."

The SDP is a workers' party, but it is also a party which does not harbour animosity towards those who want to and can create new value and pay taxes that make sense, a party that will adjust labour legislation to Croatian traditions and experience, Milanovic said.

He added that his party and its coalition partners were ready for elections regardless of their date. "We have shown a high degree of patience and cooperativeness, we did not add fuel to the fire just so that some strategic national goals are finally achieved. We will continue to be patient, but we won't keep silent or use higher goals as an excuse," Milanovic said.