The arrest of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn must not create a leadership vacuum during efforts to get a grip on Europe's debt crisis, European Central Bank governing council member Ewald Nowotny said today.

Mr Strauss-Kahn was charged yesterday with trying the attempted rape of a New York hotel maid.

Asked at a news conference about the potential impact of this on talks by euro zone officials on tacking the debt crisis, Mr Nowotny said: "It would be cynical to assume that it doesn't matter if someone from the leadership is there or not.

"Strauss-Kahn played an important role in reshaping the IMF and making it active. I assume the preparations were already made for this meeting (today) but it would certainly be regrettable if some kind of power vacuum emerged," he added.

"It is in everyone's interests to hope there will be a clear solution very quickly and that the IMF remains fully capable to act."

Euro zone finance ministers were set today to back a bailout package for Portugal, with new conditions set by Finland, in talks overshadowed by the charges against Strauss-Kahn.

Mr Nowotny said the IMF would continue to play a very positive role in Europe no matter how the Strauss-Kahn case turns out.

That view was echoed by a German government today.

"The IMF will be able to play its role in solving the world's financial problems and specifically the problems of the euro zone, where it plays a really important role, without any limits," chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said.

Steffen Seibert added that it was inappropriate now to discuss successors for the IMF chief and Europe does not have an automatic right to the job, though there could be a good European candidate.

Reuters