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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Full Focus Editor's choice A selection of our top photos from the past 24 hours. Full Article Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Special Report: An end to AIDS? 11:52am EDT Germany: sharp rise in E.coli cases, source unknown | 10:18am EDT Company from Virginia bus crash taken off the road 10:21am EDT Special report: If Monterrey falls, Mexico falls | 2:35pm EDT CSU forecasts five major hurricanes in 2011 season 2:23pm EDT Discussed 64 Judge voids controversial Wisconsin union law 52 Speculation grows over Sarah Palin’s 2012 plans 51 Air France jet crashed nose-up after 4 minute ordeal Watched Massive Australian waterspout caught on film Mon, May 30 2011 Scientists revive ancient spider in stunning 3D detail Tue, May 24 2011 GM pulls the plug Fri, May 27 2011 Berlusconi backs minister amid new signs of rift Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Greece moves on austerity deal, opposition wants more Tue, May 31 2011 Japan recovery takes hold, but debt downgrade looms Tue, May 31 2011 Berlusconi suffers heavy local poll defeats Mon, May 30 2011 Embarrassment, mockery over Berlusconi's latest gaffe Fri, May 27 2011 Obama warns Gaddafi of "no let up" Wed, May 25 2011 Analysis & Opinion The tax rate you should care about most Is Ireland the same as Greece? Related Topics World » Italy » Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi attends a joint news conference with Romania's Prime Minister Emil Boc (not seen) at Victoria Palace in Bucharest May 30, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Bogdan Cristel By James Mackenzie ROME | Wed Jun 1, 2011 3:11pm EDT ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was forced to issue a statement backing Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti for the third time in just over a month, following fresh talk of a breakdown in relations. In a statement late on Tuesday, a day after a crushing local election defeat for the center right, Berlusconi said: "I reconfirm full confidence in Minister Tremonti and I am sure we will continue to work well together as we have up to now." Berlusconi made the statement after Italian news agencies quoted him as declaring that he would push on with a tax reform and saying of his economy minister: "It's not Tremonti who decides, he proposes." With the ruling PDL party scrambling to recover its balance after the election shock, the comments were widely taken as a fresh sign of tension between Berlusconi and Tremonti, often seen as a potential successor to the 74-year-old prime minister. Italian media, including the Berlusconi-friendly Libero daily, reported rumours that Tremonti had threatened to resign over the comments, which reopened longstanding speculation of a deep rift between the two. Berlusconi has already been forced to issue two similar statements in recent weeks about Tremonti, who is generally credited with steering Italy through the financial crisis in relative safety. The latest signs of tension came after an election that cost the center right control of a string of cities including Italy's financial capital Milan. The defeat has raised doubts over the long-term stability of Berlusconi's center-right government and its ability to carry out fresh reforms of the stagnant Italian economy. PARTY SHAKE UP On Wednesday, Berlusconi announced changes aimed at strengthening the leadership of the PDL, a party based almost entirely around himself, which few believe will survive his eventual departure from politics. Justice Minister Angelino Alfano, also seen as a possible Berlusconi successor, was named as secretary-general of the party as it looks to establish a more stable and focused structure before the next parliamentary election scheduled for 2013. Berlusconi has pledged to carry on with a program of tax, justice and economic reforms, so far sketched out only in very broad terms, but the problems facing Italy, the most sluggish economy in the euro zone over the past decade, are mounting. Last month, ratings agency Standard and Poor's cut its outlook on Italy to "negative" from "stable," citing potential political gridlock as a hindrance to cutting a public debt level that stands at almost 120 percent of gross domestic product. Politicians on all sides have been acutely aware of the need to contain the debt to ward off financial market turbulence and Tremonti's tight grip on public spending has been seen as key to containing Italy's relatively modest deficit. But many in Berlusconi's party have been irritated by his dominance of spending decisions in cabinet and his closeness to the prime minister's often unruly coalition allies in the Northern League. The daily La Repubblica reported on Wednesday that Tremonti was preparing plans for a tax reform that would cut the two lower bands of income tax rates by 1 or 2 percentage points and lift VAT rates for non-basic goods by 1 or 2 points. The plan appears less ambitious than many have urged but Tremonti believes it is the most a heavily indebted country such as Italy can afford, the newspaper wrote. (Editing by Jon Boyle) World Italy Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. 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