There is no rift between Italy and its European Union partners over the euro zone bailout fund, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Friday, adding that it was well known there were problems over the issue.

Italy's lower house of parliament voted on Thursday against a long-awaited reform of the fund, known as the European Stability Mechanism, throwing into doubt ratification of a European Union treaty designed to provide help for failing banks.

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Gavin Jones)