European shares finished lower Monday, after comments from the head of the Eurogroup who said a Cyprus bailout deal could be a new template for resolving euro zone banking problems.
European shares rose on Thursday, resuming the two-week rally that has propelled indexes to multi-year highs.
European shares inched up on Friday, as investors took advantage of the past two sessions' losses to snap up equities more cheaply, reassured by a run of solid data from China, Europe and the United States.
European shares closed higher on Monday, but Italian shares closed firmly in the red after political uncertainty surfaced, with Prime Minister Mario Monti announcing he will step down before his term ends.