The European Union executive on Tuesday confirmed its "full faith" in Italy's president Sergio Mattarella's ability to steer the country out of the political impasse caused by the inconclusive 4 March national election.
"We have never been worried, nor do we have other feelings," said the European Commission's deputy chief spokesperson Alexander Winterstein.
"We have full faith in Italy's president and in the country's institutions," he said.
"We don't give evaluations on the political situation in Italy."
Mattarella on Monday said he had failed to broker a deal on a viable government after several rounds of talks with Italian party leaders.
Lawmakers should accept a "neutral" caretaker government to oversee fresh national polls, possibly this year, Mattarella told reporters.
Luigi Di Maio leader of the populist Five-Star Movement - Italy largest party - and Matteo Salvini, who leads the conservative alliance - the biggest political bloc - reject any caretaker government and demand a revote on 8 July.
Salvini's coalition parter, Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi, is willing to shun a caretaker government and to give his support to a snap election, according to party sources.
The centre-left Democratic Party's acting leader Maurizio Martina has backed Mattarella's call for a caretaker government, calling it "a step towards responsibility".
The Democratic Party's centre-left coalition had ruled Italy since 2013 but vowed to go into opposition after coming a distant third in the March ballot.
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