"Wishing for early elections because of the date of the negotiations is the furthest thing from my mind. But early elections are possible if negative economic trends continue. It won't be possible to defend and justify those trends for long," Racan told the press on Tuesday.
He said economic movements in Croatia were worrying because economic growth was slowing down, as evidenced in the fall of employment and the growth of unemployment, the debt, the costs of living and insolvency.
Racan said the GDP growth rate in 2002 was 5.2 percent but only 3.6 percent in 2004, which he added could not help settle the aforementioned issues.
He pointed the finger at the Croatian Democratic Union-led (HDZ) government for leading a policy with no concept, saying such a policy could not be maintained for long.
Racan also criticised the government for scaring people with the foreign debt without reason and for not differentiating between a debt followed by a higher GDP growth rate and a debt based on deficit. "Croatia can't do without the debt. What's important is the growth rate."
Asked if the SDP would continue to cooperate with the HDZ on issues concerning Croatia's admission to the EU in case entry talks were postponed, Racan said that his party, as the co-initiator of the cooperation of all parties on those issues, would stand behind the cooperation even if the negotiations were delayed.
He added, however, that the government represented the executive authority and was the most responsible for Croatia's integration into the EU.
Asked to comment on Globus weekly's allegations that in 2003 and 2004 the Counterintelligence Agency tapped the phones of some Croatian and foreign journalists, Racan said that as former prime minister he had no knowledge of that and that if he had he would have reacted.
He said it was evident from the Globus article that their phones were tapped in late 2003 and early 2004, when the HDZ came to power. He added the incumbent authorities should be asked about that as well as about a presentation by the then POA head Franjo Turek, which Racan said he did not see.
"If POA did tap journalists' phones I demand an effective investigation in order to establish the truth."