Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi set off excited media speculation about his future by saying he may not stand for re-election in 2013 but could play a behind-the-scenes role as a father figure to the centre right.

In remarks to a group of foreign journalists in Rome, the 74-year-old premier also said he briefly considered resigning over the crisis in Libya because of the close relations he had with Muammar Gaddafi.

The comments, from a dinner late on Tuesday, were originally intended to be off-the-record but were widely leaked to Italian news agencies and dominated many front pages on Thursday.

"I think I will stay some time more, until there is someone to replace me," he said, but later added that he was tempted by the thought of sailing his yacht and did not expect to take an executive role or become Italian president.

Italy''s richest media entrepreneur as well as its dominant political leader said he could imagine acting as a patron or father figure for the ruling PDL party if opinion polls suggested that was what Italian voters wanted.

He suggested Justice Minister Angelino Alfano as a potential successor and put forward the name of his trusted chief of staff, Gianni Letta, as a possible future head of state to succeed Giorgio Napolitano.

After major Italian newspapers led front pages with the story, Berlusconi''s spokesman, Paolo Bonaiuti was forced to issue a statement saying the comments were to be understood "as simple hypotheses, an argument, possibly deduction".

"So the reconstructions which have appeared so far are forced, often deformed, sometimes plain fanciful," he said.

Berlusconi said he had considered resigning when the United Nations Security Council opened the way for a western-led coalition to begin air strikes against pro-Gaddafi forces because of his close past relationship with the Libyan leader.