# 1994 Italian general election

The 1994 Italian general election was held on 27 and 28 March 1994 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic for the 12th legislature. Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition won a large majority in the Chamber of Deputies but just missed winning a majority in the Senate.
The Italian People's Party, the renamed Christian Democracy (DC), which had dominated Italian politics for almost half a century, was decimated. It took only 29 seats versus 206 for the DC two years earlier—easily the worst defeat a sitting government in Italy has ever suffered, and one of the worst ever suffered by a Western European governing party.

## New electoral system

A new electoral system was introduced in these elections, after the 1993 Italian referendum repealed the "supermajority clause" concerning Senate elections. The clause had meant that Senate elections were conducted using de facto pure proportional representation. As a result of this change, the Senate now elected 75% of its seats via plurality voting system in single-member constituencies, with the remaining 25% assigned proportionally in a compensatory nature. Parliament passed a new electoral law for the Chamber of Deputies to bring it more in line with the Senate, assigning 75% of the seats via plurality voting, with the remaining 25% assigned proportionally in a supplementary manner using a minimum threshold of 4% of the vote. The new electoral system was nicknamed Mattarellum after Sergio Mattarella, who was the official proponent.

## Background

In 1992, the five pro-Western governing parties (Christian Democracy, the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian Democratic Socialist Party, the Italian Republican Party, and the Italian Liberal Party) lost much of their electoral strength almost overnight due to a large number of judicial investigations concerning the financial corruption of many of their foremost members. This led to a general expectation that upcoming elections would be won by the Democratic Party of the Left, the heirs to the former Italian Communist Party, and their Progressives coalition unless there was an alternative.
On 26 January 1994, the media magnate Silvio Berlusconi announced his decision to enter politics, ("enter the field", in his own words) presenting his own political party, Forza Italia, on a platform focused on defeating "the communists". His political aim was to convince the voters of the Pentapartito, the usual five governing parties who were shocked and confused by Mani Pulite scandals, that Forza Italia offered both novelty and the continuation of the pro-Western free-market policies followed by Italy since the end of World War II. Shortly after he decided to enter the political arena, investigators into the Mani Pulite affair were said to be close to issuing warrants for the arrest of Berlusconi and senior executives of his business group. During his years of political career, Berlusconi repeatedly stated that the Mani Pulite investigations were led by communist prosecutors who wanted to establish a Soviet-style government in Italy.
In order to win the election, Berlusconi formed two separate electoral alliances: the Pole of Freedoms (Polo delle Libertà) with the Northern League (Lega Nord) in northern Italian districts, and another, the Pole of Good Government (Polo del Buon Governo), with the post-fascist National Alliance (Alleanza Nazionale; heir to the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement), in central and southern regions. In a shrewd pragmatic move, he did not ally with the latter in the North because the League disliked them. As a result, Forza Italia was allied with two parties that were not allied with each other.
Berlusconi launched a massive campaign of electoral advertisements on his three TV networks. He subsequently won the election, with Forza Italia garnering 21% of the popular vote, the highest percentage of any single party, narrowly ahead of the Democratic Party of the Left, which finished less than 1% behind. One of the most significant promises that he made in order to secure victory was that his government would create "one million more jobs". On the other side, the center-left Progressives led by Achille Occhetto, also called "the Joyful War Machine", was composed by the two party born from the dissolution of the Italian Communist Party: the Democratic Party of the Left and Communist Refoundation Party. Since the alliance was sure of victory, its campaign was focused on criticizing the media power of Berlusconi.

## Main coalitions and parties

| Coalition | Party | Party | Main ideology | Party leader | Coalition leader |
| Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Forza Italia (FI) | Liberal conservatism | Silvio Berlusconi | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | National Alliance (AN) | National conservatism | Gianfranco Fini | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Northern League (LN) | Regionalism | Umberto Bossi | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) | Christian democracy | Pier Ferdinando Casini | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Union of the Centre (UdC) | Liberalism | Raffaele Costa | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Liberal Democratic Pole (PLD) | Liberalism | Adriano Teso | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Progressives | | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) | Democratic socialism | Achille Occhetto | Achille Occhetto |
| | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | Communism | Fausto Bertinotti |
| | Federation of the Greens (FdV) | Green politics | Carlo Ripa di Meana |
| | Italian Socialist Party (PSI) | Social democracy | Ottaviano Del Turco |
| | The Network (LR) | Anti-corruption politics | Leoluca Orlando |
| | Democratic Alliance (AD) | Social liberalism | Willer Bordon |
| | Social Christians (CS) | Christian socialism | Pierre Carniti |
| | Socialist Rebirth (RS) | Social democracy | Giorgio Benvenuto |
| Pact for Italy | | Italian People's Party (PPI) | Christian democracy | Mino Martinazzoli | Mario Segni |
| | Segni Pact (PS) | Liberalism | Mario Segni |

## Results

Berlusconi's alliance won a decisive victory over the Progressives, becoming the first centre-right coalition to win a general election in Italy since the end of the Second World War. Berlusconi's coalition won in the main regions of Italy: the strongest parties in Northern Italy were the regionalist Northern League and Forza Italia, which was also able to win in all provinces of Sicily, while the National Alliance received more votes in Southern Italy. The Alliance of Progressive confirmed its predominance in the Red Belt regions of Central Italy, and in the South.

### Chamber of Deputies
#### Overall results

← Summary of the 27 March 1994 Chamber of Deputies election results → :
| Results by party Results by coalition ||||||||||||
| Coalition | Coalition | Party | Party | Proportional | Proportional | Proportional | First-past-the-post | First-past-the-post | First-past-the-post | Total seats | +/– |
| Coalition | Coalition | Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats | +/– |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Forza Italia (FI) | 8,136,135 | 21.01 | 30 | 17,746,612 | 46.09 | 87 | 111 | New |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) | 8,136,135 | 21.01 | 30 | 17,746,612 | 46.09 | 21 | 27 | New |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | National Alliance (AN) | 5,214,133 | 13.47 | 23 | 17,746,612 | 46.09 | 87 | 110 | +75 |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Northern League (LN) | 3,235,248 | 8.36 | 11 | 17,746,612 | 46.09 | 107 | 118 | +62 |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 64 | | | 302 | 366 | – |
| | Progressives | | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) | 7,881,646 | 20.36 | 38 | 12.632,680 | 32.81 | 87 | 125 | +17 |
| | Progressives | | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | 2,343,946 | 6.05 | 11 | 12.632,680 | 32.81 | 27 | 38 | +4 |
| | Progressives | | Federation of the Greens (FdV) | 1,047,268 | 2.70 | 0 | 12.632,680 | 32.81 | 11 | 11 | −5 |
| | Progressives | | Italian Socialist Party (PSI) | 849,429 | 2.19 | 0 | 12.632,680 | 32.81 | 15 | 15 | −77 |
| | Progressives | | The Network (LR) | 719,841 | 1.86 | 0 | 12.632,680 | 32.81 | 8 | 8 | −4 |
| | Progressives | | Democratic Alliance (AD) | 456,114 | 1.18 | 0 | 12.632,680 | 32.81 | 16 | 16 | New |
| | Progressives | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 49 | | | 164 | 213 | – |
| | Pact for Italy | | Italian People's Party (PPI) | 4,287,172 | 11.07 | 29 | 6,019,038 | 15.63 | 4 | 33 | −146 |
| | Pact for Italy | | Segni Pact (PS) | 1,811,814 | 4.68 | 13 | 6,019,038 | 15.63 | 0 | 13 | New |
| | Pact for Italy | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 42 | | | 4 | 46 | – |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | 231,842 | 0.60 | 0 | 188,017 | 0.49 | 3 | 3 | ±0 |
| | Southern Action League (LAM) | Southern Action League (LAM) | Southern Action League (LAM) | 59,873 | 0.15 | 0 | 46,820 | 0.13 | 1 | 1 | +1 |
| | Aosta Valley (VdA) | Aosta Valley (VdA) | Aosta Valley (VdA) | — | — | 0 | 43,700 | 0.11 | 1 | 1 | ±0 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 630 | – |

#### Detailed results

First-past-the-post :
| Party or coalition | Party or coalition | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Progressives (P) | 12,632,680 | 32.81 | 164 |
| | Pole of Freedoms (PdL) | 8,767,720 | 22.77 | 164 |
| | Pact for Italy (PpI) | 6,019,038 | 15.63 | 4 |
| | Pole of Good Government (PdBG) | 5,732,890 | 14.89 | 129 |
| | National Alliance (AN) | 2,566,848 | 6.67 | 8 |
| | Forza Italia (FI) | 679,154 | 1.76 | 1 |
| | Pannella List (LP) | 432,667 | 1.12 | 0 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | 188,017 | 0.49 | 3 |
| | Social Democracy for the Freedoms (PSDI–FDS) | 147,493 | 0.38 | 0 |
| | Southern Action League (LAM) | 46,820 | 0.13 | 1 |
| | Aosta Valley (VdA) | 43,700 | 0.11 | 1 |
| | Others | 1,247,131 | 3.24 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 38,504,158 | 100.00 | 475 |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior |||||
Proportional :
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Forza Italia (FI) | 8,136,135 | 21.01 | 30 |
| | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) | 7,881,646 | 20.36 | 38 |
| | National Alliance (AN) | 5,214,133 | 13.47 | 23 |
| | Italian People's Party (PPI) | 4,287,172 | 11.07 | 29 |
| | Northern League (LN) | 3,235,248 | 8.36 | 11 |
| | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | 2,343,946 | 6.05 | 11 |
| | Segni Pact (PS) | 1,811,814 | 4.68 | 13 |
| | Pannella List (LP) | 1,359,283 | 3.51 | 0 |
| | Federation of the Greens (FdV) | 1,047,268 | 2.70 | 0 |
| | Italian Socialist Party (PSI) | 849,429 | 2.19 | 0 |
| | The Network (LR) | 719,841 | 1.86 | 0 |
| | Democratic Alliance (AD) | 456,114 | 1.18 | 0 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | 231,842 | 0.60 | 0 |
| | Social Democracy for Freedoms (PSDI–FDS) | 179,495 | 0.46 | 0 |
| | Program Italy (PI) | 151,328 | 0.39 | 0 |
| | Lombard Alpine League (LAL) | 136,782 | 0.35 | 0 |
| | Venetian Autonomy League (LAV) | 103,764 | 0.27 | 0 |
| | Southern Action League (LAM) | 59,873 | 0.15 | 0 |
| | Others | 517,780 | 1.34 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 38,720,893 | 100.00 | 155 |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior |||||
Popular vote (first-past-the-post)
P
32.81%
PdL
22.77%
PpI
15.63%
PdBG
14.89%
AN
6.67%
FI
1.76%
Pannella
1.12%
Others
4.35% :
Popular vote (proportional)
FI–CCD
21.01%
PDS
20.36%
AN
13.47%
PPI
11.07%
LN
8.36%
PRC
6.05%
Segni
4.68%
Pannella
3.51%
FdV
2.70%
PSI
2.19%
Rete
1.86%
AD
1.18%
Others
3.56% :

#### FPTP results by constituency

| Constituency | Total seats | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won |
| Constituency | Total seats | PdL–PdBG | P | PpI | Others |
| Abruzzo | 11 | 1 | 10 | | |
| Aosta Valley | 1 | | | | 1 |
| Apulia | 34 | 23 | 10 | | 1 |
| Basilicata | 5 | 1 | 4 | | |
| Calabria | 17 | 7 | 10 | | |
| Campania 1 | 25 | 10 | 15 | | |
| Campania 2 | 22 | 7 | 12 | 3 | |
| Emilia-Romagna | 32 | 3 | 29 | | |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 10 | 10 | | | |
| Lazio 1 | 32 | 29 | 3 | | |
| Lazio 2 | 11 | 11 | | | |
| Liguria | 14 | 7 | 7 | | |
| Lombardy 1 | 31 | 31 | | | |
| Lombardy 2 | 32 | 32 | | | |
| Lombardy 3 | 11 | 10 | 1 | | |
| Marche | 12 | | 12 | | |
| Molise | 3 | 2 | 1 | | |
| Piedmont 1 | 19 | 14 | 5 | | |
| Piedmont 2 | 17 | 17 | | | |
| Sardinia | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | |
| Sicily 1 | 20 | 16 | 4 | | |
| Sicily 2 | 21 | 21 | | | |
| Trentino-Alto Adige | 8 | 5 | | | 3 |
| Tuscany | 29 | | 29 | | |
| Umbria | 7 | | 7 | | |
| Veneto 1 | 22 | 22 | | | |
| Veneto 2 | 15 | 14 | 1 | | |
| Total | 475 | 302 | 164 | 4 | 5 |

#### PR results by constituency

| Constituency | Total seats | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won |
| Constituency | Total seats | PdL–PdBG | P | PpI |
| Abruzzo | 3 | 2 | | 1 |
| Apulia | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Basilicata | 2 | 1 | | 1 |
| Calabria | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Campania 1 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Campania 2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Emilia-Romagna | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lazio 1 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| Lazio 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Liguria | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Lombardy 1 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Lombardy 2 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Lombardy 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Marche | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Molise | 1 | | | 1 |
| Piedmont 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Piedmont 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Sardinia | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Sicily 1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Sicily 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Trentino-Alto Adige | 2 | 1 | | 1 |
| Tuscany | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Umbria | 2 | 2 | | |
| Veneto 1 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Veneto 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 155 | 64 | 49 | 42 |

### Senate of the Republic
#### Overall results

← Summary of the 27 March 1994 Senate of the Republic election results → :
| Results by party Results by coalition ||||||||||
| Coalition | Coalition | Party | Party | First-past-the-post | First-past-the-post | First-past-the-post | Proportional seats | Total seats | +/– |
| Coalition | Coalition | Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Proportional seats | Total seats | +/– |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Northern League (LN) | 13,342,940 | 40.34 | 128 | 28 | 60 | +35 |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | National Alliance (AN) | 13,342,940 | 40.34 | 128 | 28 | 48 | +32 |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Forza Italia (FI) | 13,342,940 | 40.34 | 128 | 28 | 36 | New |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | | Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) | 13,342,940 | 40.34 | 128 | 28 | 12 | New |
| | Pole of Freedoms – Pole of Good Government | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 156 | – |
| | Progressives | | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) | 10,881,320 | 32.90 | 96 | 26 | 76 | +12 |
| | Progressives | | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | 10,881,320 | 32.90 | 96 | 26 | 18 | −2 |
| | Progressives | | Italian Socialist Party (PSI) | 10,881,320 | 32.90 | 96 | 26 | 9 | −40 |
| | Progressives | | Federation of the Greens (FdV) | 10,881,320 | 32.90 | 96 | 26 | 7 | +3 |
| | Progressives | | Democratic Alliance (AD) | 10,881,320 | 32.90 | 96 | 26 | 6 | New |
| | Progressives | | The Network (LR) | 10,881,320 | 32.90 | 96 | 26 | 6 | +3 |
| | Progressives | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 122 | – |
| | Pact for Italy (PpI) | Pact for Italy (PpI) | Pact for Italy (PpI) | 5,519,090 | 16.69 | 3 | 28 | 31 | −64 |
| | Pannella List (LP) | Pannella List (LP) | Pannella List (LP) | 767,765 | 2.32 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 |
| | Lombard Alpine League (LAL) | Lombard Alpine League (LAL) | Lombard Alpine League (LAL) | 246,046 | 0.74 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ±0 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | 217,137 | 0.66 | 3 | 0 | 3 | ±0 |
| | Magris List (Magris) | Magris List (Magris) | Magris List (Magris) | 61,400 | 0.19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New |
| | Aosta Valley (VdA) | Aosta Valley (VdA) | Aosta Valley (VdA) | 27,493 | 0.08 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ±0 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 315 | – |

#### Detailed results

| Party or coalition | Party or coalition | Votes | % | Seats | Seats |
| Party or coalition | Party or coalition | Votes | % | FPTP | Proportional |
| | Progressives (P) | 10,881,320 | 32.90 | 96 | 26 |
| | Pole of Freedoms (PdL) | 6,570,468 | 19.87 | 74 | 8 |
| | Pact for Italy (PpI) | 5,519,090 | 16.69 | 3 | 28 |
| | Pole of Good Government (PdBG) | 4,544,573 | 13.74 | 56 | 19 |
| | National Alliance (AN) | 2,077,934 | 6.28 | 0 | 8 |
| | Pannella List (LP) | 767,765 | 2.32 | 0 | 1 |
| | Pensioners' Party (PP) | 250,637 | 0.76 | 0 | 0 |
| | Lombard Alpine League (LAL) | 246,046 | 0.74 | 0 | 1 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | 217,137 | 0.66 | 3 | 0 |
| | Venetian Autonomy League (LAV) | 165,370 | 0.50 | 0 | 0 |
| | Federalist Greens (VF) | 100,418 | 0.30 | 0 | 0 |
| | Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az) | 88,225 | 0.27 | 0 | 0 |
| | Natural Law Party (PLN) | 86,579 | 0.26 | 0 | 0 |
| | Social Democracy for Freedoms (PSDI–FDS) | 80,264 | 0.24 | 0 | 0 |
| | The League of Angela Bossi | 72,455 | 0.22 | 0 | 0 |
| | Greens Greens (VV) | 68,218 | 0.21 | 0 | 0 |
| | Veneto Autonomous Region Movement (MVRA) | 64,149 | 0.19 | 0 | 0 |
| | Magris List (Magris) | 61,400 | 0.19 | 1 | 0 |
| | Southern Action League (LAM) | 54,395 | 0.16 | 0 | 0 |
| | League for Piedmont | 49,505 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | Aosta Valley (VdA) | 27,493 | 0.08 | 1 | 0 |
| | Others | 931,143 | 2.82 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 33,074,549 | 100.00 | 232 | 83 |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior ||||||
Popular vote
P
32.90%
PdL
19.87%
PpI
16.69%
PdBG
13.74%
AN
6.28%
Pannella
2.32%
Others
8.20% :

#### FPTP by constituency

| Constituency | Total seats | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won |
| Constituency | Total seats | PdL–PdBG | P | PpI | Others |
| Piedmont | 17 | 12 | 5 | | |
| Aosta Valley | 1 | | | | 1 |
| Lombardy | 35 | 35 | | | |
| Trentino-Alto Adige | 6 | 3 | | | 3 |
| Veneto | 17 | 17 | | | |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 5 | 4 | | | 1 |
| Liguria | 6 | 2 | 4 | | |
| Emilia-Romagna | 15 | 1 | 14 | | |
| Tuscany | 14 | | 14 | | |
| Umbria | 5 | | 5 | | |
| Marche | 6 | | 6 | | |
| Lazio | 21 | 16 | 5 | | |
| Abruzzo | 5 | | 5 | | |
| Molise | 2 | | 2 | | |
| Campania | 22 | 7 | 13 | 2 | |
| Apulia | 16 | 9 | 7 | | |
| Basilicata | 5 | 1 | 4 | | |
| Calabria | 8 | 1 | 7 | | |
| Sicily | 20 | 17 | 3 | | |
| Sardinia | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 232 | 128 | 96 | 3 | 5 |

#### PR results by constituency

| Constituency | Total seats | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won |
| Constituency | Total seats | PpI | PdL–PdBG | P | Others |
| Piedmont | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Lombardy | 12 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| Trentino-Alto Adige | 1 | 1 | | | |
| Veneto | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 2 | 1 | | 1 | |
| Liguria | 3 | 1 | 2 | | |
| Emilia-Romagna | 6 | 2 | 4 | | |
| Tuscany | 5 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Umbria | 2 | 1 | 1 | | |
| Marche | 2 | 1 | 1 | | |
| Lazio | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| Abruzzo | 2 | | 2 | | |
| Campania | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Apulia | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Basilicata | 2 | 1 | 1 | | |
| Calabria | 3 | 1 | 2 | | |
| Sicily | 7 | 2 | | 5 | |
| Sardinia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 83 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 2 |

### Leaders' races

1994 Italian general election (C): Rome Centre :
| Candidate | Candidate | Coalition | Party | Votes | % |
| | Silvio Berlusconi | Pole | FI | 34,354 | 46.29 |
| | Luigi Spaventa | Progressives | PDS | 29,914 | 40.10 |
| | Alberto Michelini | Pact for Italy | PS | 9,566 | 12.82 |
| | Others | Others | | 593 | 0.79 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 74,607 | 100.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 77,562 | 77.19 |
| | Pole gain | Pole gain | Pole gain | Pole gain | Pole gain |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior ||||||
1994 Italian general election (C): Bologna – Borgo Panigale :
| Candidate | Candidate | Coalition | Party | Votes | % |
| | Achille Occhetto | Progressives | PDS | 52,997 | 59.77 |
| | Pier Ferdinando Casini | Pole | CCD | 17,925 | 20.22 |
| | Alfredo Ruocco | None | AN | 7,388 | 8.33 |
| | Maria Gualandi | Pact for Italy | PPI | 7,133 | 8.04 |
| | Oliviero Toscani | None | LP | 3,225 | 3.64 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 88,668 | 100.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 91,571 | 95.03 |
| | Progressives gain | Progressives gain | Progressives gain | Progressives gain | Progressives gain |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior ||||||
1994 Italian general election (C): Sassari :
| Candidate | Candidate | Coalition | Party | Votes | % |
| | Carmelo Porcu | Pole | AN | 30,623 | 36.14 |
| | Mario Segni | Pact for Italy | PS | 26,776 | 31.60 |
| | Gavino Angius | Progressives | PDS | 17,570 | 20.73 |
| | Giacomo Spissu | None | PSd'Az | 6,952 | 8.20 |
| | Gavino Sale | None | ParIS | 1,185 | 1.40 |
| | Giovanni Conoci | None | LR | 966 | 1.14 |
| | Others | Others | | 664 | 0.78 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 84,736 | 100.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 89,504 | 86.02 |
| | Pole gain | Pole gain | Pole gain | Pole gain | Pole gain |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior ||||||

## Aftermath

Contrary to its success in the Chamber of Deputies, the Pole failed to win a majority in the Senate. Nevertheless, the first Berlusconi government obtained a vote of confidence in the Senate thanks to the abstention of four PPI senators (Vittorio Cecchi Gori, Stefano Cusumano, Luigi Grillo, and Tomaso Zanoletti), who decided not to take part in the vote. The vote of the Senators for life was not decisive, as three (Gianni Agnelli, Francesco Cossiga, and Giovanni Leone) voted in favour of the government, three were absent (Carlo Bo, Norberto Bobbio, and Amintore Fanfani) and five voted against (Giulio Andreotti, Francesco De Martino, Giovanni Spadolini, Paolo Emilio Taviani, and Leo Valiani). As a result, the Senate gave Berlusconi 159 votes in favour and 153 against.
Commenting on the historical significance of Berlusconi's victory, together with the complexity of his alliance, the British historian Martin Clark observed: "It was an extraordinary transformation: 70 per cent of the deputies and senators won seats for the first time. The corrupt old parties were replaced by a 'new Right': 97 businessmen and media executives of FI, 122 small businessmen and artisans of the League, bent on a Sack of Rome, and 109 'post-Fascists,' advocates prominent among them, desperate to preserve 'Italy' from the League and social spending from the free marketeers."