Bologna Mayor Sergio Cofferati, once tipped to be the leader of Italy's main centre-left party, has said he won't seek a second term next year.
Cofferati, 60, said he was not seeking re-election in order to spend more time with his small family in Genoa.
He said it was impossible to keep up a 600km commute ''to be a father in Genoa and a mayor in Bologna''.
Cofferati's companion and infant son live in the northwestern Italian city.
But Cofferati said he would remain ''at the disposal'' of the Democratic Party.
The former trade union leader galvanised opposition to centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi in 2001-2003 and was seen as a shoo-in to lead the centre-left.
Instead he chose to try to retake the traditional leftwing stronghold of Bologna after a shock centre-right win in 1999, the first conservative victory there since the Second World War.
Cofferati was elected with 56% of the vote in 2004.
Since his election Cofferati has had several run-ins with hard-left members of his municipal coalition, mainly over law and order issues.
Accused of taking a conservative turn, he launched a crackdown on drugs, illegal immigrants and squatters and banned the sale of alcohol in certain areas after 9 p.m.
Cofferati was also branded a prude for banning a chocolate phallic tribute to porn star Rocco Siffredi and prohibiting genital piercing in the city.
Nicknamed 'Il Cinese' (The Chinaman) because of the shape of his eyes, Cofferati is a science fiction fan and has written several books about cult sci-fi author Philip K. Dick.
