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1994 Italian general election

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FieldValue
election_name1994 Italian general election
countryItaly
typeparliamentary
ongoingno
previous_election1992 Italian general election
previous_year1992
outgoing_membersLegislature XI of Italy
next_election1996 Italian general election
next_year1996
elected_membersLegislature XII of Italy
seats_for_electionAll 630 seats in the Chamber of Deputies316 seats needed for a majorityAll 315 elective seats in the Senate163 seats needed for a majority
election_date27–28 March 1994
registered48,135,041 (C)41,795,730 (S)
turnout41,546,290 (C)86.3% (1.1 pp)
35,873,375 (S)85.8% (1.0 pp)
1blankConstituency vote
2blank% and swing
3blankParty vote
4blank% and swing
image1
leader1Silvio Berlusconi
party1Forza Italia (1994)
alliance1Pole of Freedoms / Good Government
color10A6BE1
leader_since126 January 1994
leaders_seat1Roma Centrale (C)
seats1**366** (C) / **156** (S)
1data1**17,746,612** (C)
**14,110,705** (S)
2data1**46.1%** (C)
**42.6%** (S)
3data1**16,585,516** (C)
4data1**42.8%** (C)
image2
leader2Achille Occhetto
party2Democratic Party of the Left
alliance2Progressives
color2D90000
leader_since21 February 1994
leaders_seat2Borgo Panigale (C)
seats2213 (C) / 122 (S)
1data212.632,680 (C)
10,881,320 (S)
2data232.8% (C)
32.9% (S)
3data213,308,244 (C)
4data234.3% (C)
image3
leader3Mario Segni
party3Segni Pact
alliance3Pact for Italy
color3FFD700
leader_since35 January 1994
leaders_seat3Sardegna (C)
seats346 (C) / 31 (S)
1data36,019,038 (C)
5,519,090 (S)
2data315.6% (C)
16.7% (S)
3data36,098,986 (C)
4data315.8% (C)
map_image[[File:1994 Italian general election - Vote Strength.svg400px]]
map_captionResults of the single-member constituencies in the Chamber of Deputies (left) and Senate (right).
titlePrime Minister
posttitlePrime Minister after the election
before_electionCarlo Azeglio Ciampi
before_partyIndependent
after_electionSilvio Berlusconi
after_partyForza Italia (1994)

35,873,375 (S)85.8% (1.0 pp)

14,110,705 (S) 42.6% (S)

10,881,320 (S) 32.9% (S)

5,519,090 (S) 16.7% (S)

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 official heir of Christian Democracy party, 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 enough, 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 heir of the former Italian Communist Party, and its 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

CoalitionPartyMain ideologyParty leaderCoalition leader
Pole of Freedoms}}"Pole of Freedoms –
Pole of Good GovernmentForza Italia (1994)}}"Forza Italia (FI)Liberal conservatism
National Alliance (Italy)}}"National Alliance (AN)National conservatismGianfranco Fini
Lega Nord}};"Northern League (LN)RegionalismUmberto Bossi
Christian Democratic Centre}}"Christian Democratic Centre (CCD)Christian democracyPier Ferdinando Casini
Union of the Centre (1993)}}"Union of the Centre (UdC)LiberalismRaffaele Costa
Liberal Democratic Pole (PLD)LiberalismAdriano Teso
Progressives (Italy)}}"ProgressivesDemocratic Party of the Left}}"Democratic Party of the Left (PDS)Democratic socialism
Communist Refoundation Party}};"Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)CommunismFausto Bertinotti
Federation of the Greens}}"Federation of the Greens (FdV)Green politicsCarlo Ripa di Meana
Italian Socialist Party}}"Italian Socialist Party (PSI)Social democracyOttaviano Del Turco
The Network (political party)}}"The Network (LR)Anti-corruption politicsLeoluca Orlando
Democratic Alliance (Italy)}}"Democratic Alliance (AD)Social liberalismWiller Bordon
Social Christians (CS)Christian socialismPierre Carniti
Socialist Rebirth (RS)Social democracyGiorgio Benvenuto
Segni Pact}}"Pact for ItalyItalian People's Party (1994)}}"Italian People's Party (PPI)Christian democracy
Segni Pact}}"Segni Pact (PS)LiberalismMario 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

CoalitionPartyProportionalFirst-past-the-post**Total
seats**+/–Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Pole of Freedoms}}"Pole of Freedoms –
Pole of Good GovernmentForza Italia (1994)}}"Forza Italia (FI)8,136,13521.013017,746,61246.0987111*New*
Christian Democratic Centre}}"Christian Democratic Centre (CCD)2127*New*
National Alliance (Italy)}}"National Alliance (AN)5,214,13313.472387110+75
Lega Nord}}"Northern League (LN)3,235,2488.3611107118+62
**Total seats****64****302****366**
Progressives (Italy)}};"ProgressivesDemocratic Party of the Left}}"Democratic Party of the Left (PDS)7,881,64620.363812.632,68032.8187125+17
Communist Refoundation Party}}"Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)2,343,9466.05112738+4
Federation of the Greens}}"Federation of the Greens (FdV)1,047,2682.7001111−5
Italian Socialist Party}}"Italian Socialist Party (PSI)849,4292.1901515−77
The Network (political party)}}"The Network (LR)719,8411.86088−4
Democratic Alliance (Italy)}}"Democratic Alliance (AD)456,1141.1801616*New*
**Total seats****49****164****213**
Pact for ItalyItalian People's Party (1994)}}"Italian People's Party (PPI)4,287,17211.07296,019,03815.63433−146
Patto Segni}}"Segni Pact (PS)1,811,8144.6813013*New*
**Total seats****42****4****46**
South Tyrolean People's Party}}"South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP)231,8420.60**0**188,0170.49**3****3**±0
Southern Action League}}"Southern Action League (LAM)59,8730.15**0**46,8200.13**1****1**+1
Aosta Valley (political coalition)}}"Aosta Valley (VdA)**0**43,7000.11**1****1**±0
**Total****630**

Detailed results

Party or coalitionVotes%Seats
Progressives (Italy)}}"Progressives (P)12,632,68032.81
Pole of Freedoms}}"Pole of Freedoms (PdL)8,767,72022.77
Segni Pact}}"Pact for Italy (PpI)6,019,03815.63
Pole of Freedoms}}"Pole of Good Government (PdBG)5,732,89014.89
National Alliance (Italy)}}"National Alliance (AN)2,566,8486.67
Forza Italia (1994)}}"Forza Italia (FI)679,1541.76
Radical Party (Italy)}}"Pannella List (LP)432,6671.12
South Tyrolean People's Party}}"South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP)188,0170.49
Italian Democratic Socialist Party}}"Social Democracy for the Freedoms (PSDI–FDS)147,4930.38
Southern Action League}}"Southern Action League (LAM)46,8200.13
Aosta Valley (political coalition)}}"Aosta Valley (VdA)43,7000.11
Other}}"Others1,247,1313.24
**Total****38,504,158****100.00****475**
Source: [Ministry of the Interior](https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/index.php?tpel=C&dtel=27/03/1994&es0=S&tpa=I&lev0=0&levsut0=0&ms=S&tpe=A)
PartyVotes%Seats
Forza Italia (1994)}}"Forza Italia (FI)8,136,13521.01
Democratic Party of the Left}}"Democratic Party of the Left (PDS)7,881,64620.36
National Alliance (Italy)}}"National Alliance (AN)5,214,13313.47
Italian People's Party (1994)}}"Italian People's Party (PPI)4,287,17211.07
Lega Nord}}"Northern League (LN)3,235,2488.36
Communist Refoundation Party}}"Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)2,343,9466.05
Segni Pact}}"Segni Pact (PS)1,811,8144.68
Radical Party (Italy)}}"Pannella List (LP)1,359,2833.51
Federation of the Greens}}"Federation of the Greens (FdV)1,047,2682.70
Italian Socialist Party}}"Italian Socialist Party (PSI)849,4292.19
The Network (political party)}}"The Network (LR)719,8411.86
Democratic Alliance (Italy)}}"Democratic Alliance (AD)456,1141.18
South Tyrolean People's Party}}"South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP)231,8420.60
Italian Democratic Socialist Party}}"Social Democracy for Freedoms (PSDI–FDS)179,4950.46
Program Italy (PI)151,3280.39
Lombard Alpine League (LAL)136,7820.35
Venetian Autonomy League (LAV)103,7640.27
Southern Action League}}"Southern Action League (LAM)59,8730.15
Other}}"Others517,7801.34
**Total****38,720,893****100.00****155**
Source: [Ministry of the Interior](https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/index.php?tpel=C&dtel=27/03/1994&es0=S&tpa=I&lev0=0&levsut0=0&ms=S&tpe=A)

FPTP results by constituency

ConstituencyTotal
seatsSeats wonPdL–PdBGPPpIOthersThe People of Freedom}};"Progressives (Italy)}};"Others}};;"Abruzzo11Aosta Valley1Apulia34Basilicata5Calabria17Campania 125Campania 222Emilia-Romagna32Friuli-Venezia Giulia10Lazio 132Lazio 211Liguria14Lombardy 131Lombardy 232Lombardy 311Marche12Molise3Piedmont 119Piedmont 217Sardinia14Sicily 120Sicily 221Trentino-Alto Adige8Tuscany29Umbria7Veneto 122Veneto 215Total47530216445
110
1
23101
14
710
1015
7123
329
10
293
11
77
31
32
101
12
21
145
17
941
164
21
53
29
7
22
141

PR results by constituency

ConstituencyTotal
seatsSeats wonPdL–PdBGPPpIThe People of Freedom}};"Progressives (Italy)}};"Abruzzo3Apulia10Basilicata2Calabria6Campania 18Campania 27Emilia-Romagna9Friuli-Venezia Giulia3Lazio 110Lazio 23Liguria6Lombardy 110Lombardy 211Lombardy 34Marche4Molise1Piedmont 16Piedmont 26Sardinia4Sicily 17Sicily 27Trentino-Alto Adige2Tuscany11Umbria2Veneto 18Veneto 25Total155644942
21
154
11
222
422
412
441
111
163
111
321
442
533
211
211
1
321
321
112
322
322
11
542
2
323
311

Senate of the Republic

Overall results

CoalitionPartyFirst-past-the-postProportional
seatsTotal
seats+/–Votes%Seats
Pole of Freedoms}}"Pole of Freedoms –
Pole of Good GovernmentLega Nord}}"Northern League (LN)13,342,94040.341282860
National Alliance (Italy)}}"National Alliance (AN)48+32
Forza Italia (1994)}}"Forza Italia (FI)36*New*
Christian Democratic Centre}}"Christian Democratic Centre (CCD)12*New*
**Total seats****156**
Progressives (Italy)}};"ProgressivesDemocratic Party of the Left}}"Democratic Party of the Left (PDS)10,881,32032.90962676
Communist Refoundation Party}}"Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)18−2
Italian Socialist Party}}"Italian Socialist Party (PSI)9−40
Federation of the Greens}}"Federation of the Greens (FdV)7+3
Democratic Alliance (Italy)}}"Democratic Alliance (AD)6*New*
The Network (LR)6+3
**Total seats****122**
Segni Pact}}"Pact for Italy (PpI)5,519,09016.69328**31**−64
Radical Party (Italy)}}"Pannella List (LP)767,7652.3201**1**+1
Lombard Alpine League (LAL)246,0460.7401**1**±0
South Tyrolean People's Party}};"South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP)217,1370.6630**3**±0
Magris List (Magris)61,4000.1910**1***New*
Aosta Valley (political coalition)}};"Aosta Valley (VdA)27,4930.0810**1**±0
**Total****315**

Detailed results

Party or coalitionVotes%SeatsFPTPProportional
Progressives (Italy)}};"Progressives (P)10,881,32032.909626
Pole of Freedoms}};"Pole of Freedoms (PdL)6,570,46819.87748
Segni Pact}}"Pact for Italy (PpI)5,519,09016.69328
Pole of Freedoms}};"Pole of Good Government (PdBG)4,544,57313.745619
National Alliance (Italy)}}"National Alliance (AN)2,077,9346.2808
Radical Party (Italy)}}"Pannella List (LP)767,7652.3201
Pensioners' Party (Italy)}};"Pensioners' Party (PP)250,6370.7600
Lombard Alpine League (LAL)246,0460.7401
South Tyrolean People's Party}};"South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP)217,1370.6630
Venetian Autonomy League (LAV)165,3700.5000
Federalist Greens (VF)100,4180.3000
Sardinian Action Party}};"Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az)88,2250.2700
Natural Law Party}}"Natural Law Party (PLN)86,5790.2600
Italian Democratic Socialist Party}}"Social Democracy for Freedoms (PSDI–FDS)80,2640.2400
The League of Angela Bossi72,4550.2200
Greens Greens (VV)68,2180.2100
Veneto Autonomous Region Movement (MVRA)64,1490.1900
Magris List (Magris)61,4000.1910
Southern Action League}}"Southern Action League (LAM)54,3950.1600
League for Piedmont49,5050.1500
Aosta Valley (political coalition)}};"Aosta Valley (VdA)27,4930.0810
Other}};"Others931,1432.8200
**Total****33,074,549****100.00****232****83**
Source: [Ministry of the Interior](https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/index.php?tpel=S&dtel=27/03/1994&es0=S&tpa=I&lev0=0&levsut0=0&ms=S&tpe=A)

FPTP by constituency

ConstituencyTotal
seatsSeats wonPdL–PdBGPPpIOthersThe People of Freedom}};"Progressives (Italy)}};"Others}};;"Piedmont17Aosta Valley1Lombardy35Trentino-Alto Adige6Veneto17Friuli-Venezia Giulia5Liguria6Emilia-Romagna15Tuscany14Umbria5Marche6Lazio21Abruzzo5Molise2Campania22Apulia16Basilicata5Calabria8Sicily20Sardinia6Total2321289635
125
1
35
33
17
41
24
114
14
5
6
165
5
2
7132
97
14
17
173
321

PR results by constituency

ConstituencyTotal
seatsSeats wonPpIPdL–PdBGPOthersThe People of Freedom}};"Progressives (Italy)}};"Others}};;"Piedmont6Lombardy12Trentino-Alto Adige1Veneto6Friuli-Venezia Giulia2Liguria3Emilia-Romagna6Tuscany5Umbria2Marche2Lazio7Abruzzo2Campania8Apulia6Basilicata2Calabria3Sicily7Sardinia3Total832827262
222
3162
1
213
11
12
24
23
11
11
214
2
332
222
11
12
25
111

Leaders' races

1994 Italian general election (C): Rome CentreCandidateCoalitionPartyVotes%
Centre-right coalition}}"**Silvio Berlusconi**PoleFI**34,354****46.29**
Progressives (Italy)}}"Luigi SpaventaProgressivesPDS29,91440.10
Segni Pact}}"Alberto MicheliniPact for ItalyPS9,56612.82
Other}}"Others5930.79
**Total****74,607****100.0**
Turnout**77,562****77.19**
Centre-right coalition}}"Pole gain
Source: [Ministry of the Interior](https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/index.php?tpel=C&dtel=27/03/1994&tpa=I&tpe=L&lev0=0&levsut0=0&lev1=15&levsut1=1&lev2=1&levsut2=2&ne1=15&ne2=1501&es0=S&es1=S&es2=N&ms=S&unipro=uni)
1994 Italian general election (C): Bologna – Borgo PanigaleCandidateCoalitionPartyVotes%
Progressives (Italy)}}"**Achille Occhetto**ProgressivesPDS**52,997****59.77**
Centre-right coalition}}"Pier Ferdinando CasiniPoleCCD17,92520.22
National Alliance (Italy)}}"Alfredo RuoccoNoneAN7,3888.33
Segni Pact}}"Maria GualandiPact for ItalyPPI7,1338.04
Radical Party (Italy)}}"Oliviero ToscaniNoneLP3,2253.64
**Total****88,668****100.0**
Turnout**91,571****95.03**
Progressives (Italy)}}"Progressives gain
Source: [Ministry of the Interior](https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/index.php?tpel=C&dtel=27/03/1994&tpa=I&tpe=L&lev0=0&levsut0=0&lev1=11&levsut1=1&lev2=14&levsut2=2&ne1=11&ne2=1114&es0=S&es1=S&es2=S&ms=S&unipro=uni)
1994 Italian general election (C): SassariCandidateCoalitionPartyVotes%
Centre-right coalition}}"**Carmelo Porcu**PoleAN**30,623****36.14**
Segni Pact}}"Mario SegniPact for ItalyPS26,77631.60
Progressives (Italy)}}"Gavino AngiusProgressivesPDS17,57020.73
Sardinian Action Party}}"Giacomo SpissuNonePSd'Az6,9528.20
Gavino SaleNoneParIS1,1851.40
The Network (political party)}}"Giovanni ConociNoneLR9661.14
Other}}"Others6640.78
**Total****84,736****100.0**
Turnout**89,504****86.02**
Centre-right coalition}}"Pole gain
Source: [Ministry of the Interior](https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/index.php?tpel=C&dtel=27/03/1994&tpa=I&tpe=L&lev0=0&levsut0=0&lev1=26&levsut1=1&lev2=1&levsut2=2&ne1=26&ne2=2601&es0=S&es1=S&es2=S&ms=S&unipro=uni)

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."

Notes

References

References

  1. (30 March 2006). "As Italy Votes, Golden Career Of Berlusconi Is at Crossroads". Wall Street Journal.
  2. (1 April 2006). "Italian Election, The Prelude". [[The American (magazine).
  3. Griffin, Roger. (1996). "The 'Post-Fascism' of the Alleanza Nazionale: A Case Study in Ideological Morphology". Journal of Political Ideologies.
  4. "Elezioni della Camera dei Deputati del 27 Marzo 1994". [[Italian Chamber of Deputies]].
  5. "Il Sole 24 Ore - Nel 1994 decisivi per Berlusconi tre senatori a vita".
  6. Clark, Martin (1996). ''Modern Italy, 1871–1995'' (2nd ed.). Pearson Education Limited. p. 422.
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