Italian Prime Minister Vows To Keep Coalition Together

Made the comments in the wake of Berlusconi's tax fraud sentence being upheld

Members of Enrico Letta's own centre-left party yesterday suggested they could no longer serve in a coalition with Mr Berlusconi after Italy's highest court upheld his conviction and jail sentence for fraud.

They warned they would look at a formal move to oust the 76-year-old Mr Berlusconi from the Senate following the court's decision.

On Friday night, Mr Letta appealed for calm and said it would be a "crime" if the coalition collapsed just as it was trying to tackle the country's recession.