Silvio Berlusconi said Wednesday he intends to complete the remaining two years of his mandate as Italian prime minister and that he is "not worried" by his indictment on charges of having sex with an underage prostitute and abuse of power, DPA reported.
The remarks were Berlusconi's first in public since Tuesday's ruling by a judge that he must stand trial and subsequent calls from the centre-left opposition for him to resign.
Flanked at a news conference in Rome by Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti, often touted as a possible successor, the premier refused to answer questions on his legal woes.
"I'm not at all worried," was his only reference to the decision that he must face the dock. The first hearing in the trial is set for April 6 in Milan.
Berlusconi said he enjoyed the "full support" of his conservative coalition allies, including Northern League party leader Umberto Bossi, with whom the premier held what were described by the Italian media as "emergency" talks late Tuesday.
"We are certain of continuing with this legislature until its natural end," Berlusconi said, ruling out elections before 2013.
The 74 year-old premier, who smiled frequently and appeared relaxed, is facing mounting pressure to resign over a sex scandal which sees him accused of paying a Moroccan go-go dancer Karima El Mahroug - at the time still 17 years old - for sex.
Prosecutors also accuse Berlusconi of having abused his position as prime minister when he admitted that he had intervened in May to release El Mahroug while she was held by police on suspicion of theft.
Berlusconi reportedly told police at the time that Ruby was the niece of former Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak.
If found guilty, Berlusconi faces a maximum combined prison sentence of 15 years.
The media-magnate-turned politician has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has renewed accusations that "leftist" prosecutors are plotting to oust him.
The latest scandal is widely seen as the biggest challenge Berlusconi has faced in his political career, one in which he has frequently face allegation of corruption and tax fraud related to his media empire.
Commentators have suggested he may attempt to introduce new laws in an attempt to block or delay the trial.
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