Mario Borghezio, a European Parliament member for the anti-immigration Northern League, said he agreed with Breivik's "opposition to Islam and his explicit accusation that Europe has surrendered before putting up a fight against its Islamisation."

Borghezio told the host of talk radio programme La Zanzara that he did not agree with Breivik's use of violence, nor with the "Protestant" Norwegian's "anti-Papist" stance.

But he said that "some of the ideas (of Breivik's) are good, in certain cases even excellent."

The Northern League is the junior partner in Berlusconi's conservative government.

The centre-left opposition called for Borghezio to resign from the European Parliament.

"It is a matter of shame for all of us that a representative of the ruling coalition made apologetic remarks about one of the cruelest acts of terrorism," said the Democratic Party's David Sassoli and the Italy of Values party's Niccolo Rinaldi, both European parliamentarians.

Minister for the Simplification of Legislature Roberto Calderoli, a member of the Northern League, distanced the party from Borghezio's remarks, which he described as "rantings."

Breivik has been charged with setting off a bomb in central Oslo on Friday that killed eight people, and shooting 68 people dead at a Labour party youth camp on Utoya island.Author: Peter Mayer