The European Union cannot force the resignation of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Belgium's acting Finance Minister Didier Reynders said Monday, DPA reported.
Earlier, European share prices rebounded from heavy losses on rumours that Berlusconi was due to step down. After those rumours were denied, prices fell again.
"It is not up to European countries to say whether the President of the Italian Council (the prime minister), who was elected by the people, should resign or not," Reynders wrote on his website.
Reynders was taking part in a meeting of euro area finance ministers in Brussels.