Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned in 2011, announced on Wednesday that he will not run for a fourth term in the coming Italian elections.

Berlusconi called on his party to have primaries in order to choose their candidate.

"I will not run for Prime Minister", he said, "but I will support younger players who have to play and 'score a goal' he wrote on the internet site of his People of Freedom party.