Corriere della Sera is carrying a story this morning that Silvio Berlusconi has made up his to run again for prime minister in the Italian general election that has to be held by next spring. Polls he has commissioned reportedly show his party could not get more than 18% of the vote without him, but that its share of the poll would soar to 30% if he did stand.

The TV mogul was said to have cancelled his holidays to prepare for the re-launch of his party in the autumn. And, Corriere said, he was planning to present a "shadow cabinet" composed entirely of people under 50.

That might make it more appealing to younger voters. It might also distract attention from the fact that Berlusconi will be 81 when the next legislature comes to an end.

The report was published on the day after the media tycoon's successor, Mario Monti, said equally definitely he would not run. Thirty percent of the vote might not get Berlusconi's party a majority of seats, but, if not, it would certainly hold the balance in the next parliament.

All this is unlikely to go down well in the markets. In the eight years that Italy was governed by the chirpy billionaire, its economy barely grew at all. And his reluctance to introduce structural reform was the chief reason why he was ousted from power last November.