Prodi said he decided not to stand as his coalition's main candidate shortly after the fall of his center-left allied government in January, Euronews.net reported Monday.

"I am finished with Italian politics and possibly also with politics in general. The world is full of opportunities; there is always something new to do," he said.

Prodi reportedly sees Rome's mayor, Walter Veltroni, taking over the country's leadership.

Veltroni is aiming for a smaller coalition and plans on eliminating a number of Prodi's strong-left allies, the report said.

A poll revealed that Veltroni's Democratic Party is six-and-a-half points behind former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's center-right party.