"A strong Europe needs strong member-countries which can take over not only rights but also obligations arising from EU membership. We have shown, in the course of our demanding and strict accession process, that united Europe can count on Croatia as its 28th member, whose entry will contribute to the well-being of the European Union and its member-countries," said Kosor while attending the EPP congress for the first time as leader of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

"When I took up office as Prime Minister five months ago, many said that we were doomed to failure. They said that we would not be able to find a solution to the blockade of Croatia's EU entry talks at the time. We were told that we would not have the strength to start dealing with corruption. We were told that the state would go bankrupt. None of that happened, quite the contrary," Kosor said.

She said that the government was restoring citizens' trust "in state institutions which are implementing our policy of zero tolerance to corruption".

She added that state finances had been stabilised and downward economic trends stopped, "even though we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to reviving the economy and developing an efficient and competitive social market economy, based on the principles reaffirmed at the EPP congress today."

Also today, Kosor told reporters in Bonn that she was optimistic about Croatia completing its European Union accession talks on time.

"There are still some problems, but I'm confident that we will solve them," Kosor said.

As for relations with Slovenia, Kosor said that a climate of friendship and cooperation had been created and that the two countries would continue to talk.

Kosor was hopeful the chief prosecutor of the Hague war crimes tribunal, Serge Brammertz, would recognise Croatia's efforts regarding artillery logs sought by the tribunal. "They are Croatia's property and we want to and must know what happened with them," Kosor said.

EPP president Wilfried Martens was today re-elected to the post.