"I don't know, " he told La Repubblica newspaper, in answer to a question about his political future.

BBC: Italy: Last days of Mario Monti

In that respect, maybe he does resemble Mr Suharto, who, in his final months in power, seemed more worried about his political future than about fixing the economy.

ECONOMIST: Malaysia

Such remarks are common these days as the 45-year-old seeks to simmer down the buzz about his political future even as his travel schedule suggests he has clear national aspirations, perhaps as early as 2016.

WSJ: Wis. governor to court Iowans, stoke 2016 talk