1994 Italian general election

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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A new electoral system was introduced in these elections, after the 1993 Italian referendum repealed the "supermajority clause" concerning Senate elections.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

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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.[1][2]

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.[3] 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.[4] 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 Main ideology Party leader Coalition leader
rowspan="6" style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Pole of Freedoms –
Pole of Good Government 		style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Forza Italia (FI) Liberal conservatism Silvio Berlusconi Silvio Berlusconi
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| National Alliance (AN)Template:Efn National conservatism Gianfranco Fini
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Northern League (LN)Template:Efn Regionalism Umberto Bossi
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Christian Democratic Centre (CCD)Template:Efn Christian democracy Pier Ferdinando Casini
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Union of the Centre (UdC)Template:Efn Liberalism Raffaele Costa
Liberal Democratic Pole (PLD)Template:Efn Liberalism Adriano Teso
rowspan="8" style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Progressives style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) Democratic socialism Achille Occhetto Achille Occhetto
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) Communism Fausto Bertinotti
style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Federation of the Greens (FdV) Green politics Carlo Ripa di Meana
style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Italian Socialist Party (PSI) Social democracy Ottaviano Del Turco
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| The Network (LR) Anti-corruption politics Leoluca Orlando
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Democratic Alliance (AD) Social liberalism Willer Bordon
Social Christians (CS)Template:Efn Christian socialism Pierre Carniti
Socialist Rebirth (RS)Template:Efn Social democracy Giorgio Benvenuto
rowspan="2" style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Pact for Italy style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Italian People's Party (PPI) Christian democracy Mino Martinazzoli Mario Segni
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| 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 →
Template:Switcher
Coalition Party Proportional First-past-the-post Total
seats 		+/–
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
rowspan="5" bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pole of Freedoms –
Pole of Good Government 		bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Forza Italia (FI) 8,136,135 21.01 30Template:Efn 17,746,612 46.09 87 111Template:Efn New
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) 21 27 New
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | National Alliance (AN) 5,214,133 13.47 23Template:Efn 87 110 +75
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Northern League (LN) 3,235,248 8.36 11Template:Efn 107 118 +62
Total seats 64 302 366 –
rowspan="7" style="background:Template:Party color;"| Progressives bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) 7,881,646 20.36 38Template:Efn 12.632,680 32.81 87 125Template:Efn +17
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 2,343,946 6.05 11 27 38 +4
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Federation of the Greens (FdV) 1,047,268 2.70 0 11 11 −5
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Italian Socialist Party (PSI) 849,429 2.19 0 15 15Template:Efn −77
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| The Network (LR) 719,841 1.86 0 8 8 −4
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Democratic Alliance (AD) 456,114 1.18 0 16 16 New
Total seats 49 164 213 –
Pact for Italy bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Italian People's Party (PPI) 4,287,172 11.07 29 6,019,038 15.63 4 33 −146
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Segni Pact (PS) 1,811,814 4.68 13 0 13 New
Total seats 42 4 46 –
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) 231,842 0.60 0 188,017 0.49 3 3 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Southern Action League (LAM) 59,873 0.15 0 46,820 0.13 1 1 +1
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Aosta Valley (VdA) — — 0 43,700 0.11 1 1 ±0
Total 630 –

Detailed results

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First-past-the-post
Party or coalition Votes % Seats
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Progressives (P) 12,632,680 32.81 164
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pole of Freedoms (PdL) 8,767,720 22.77 164
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pact for Italy (PpI) 6,019,038 15.63 4
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pole of Good Government (PdBG) 5,732,890 14.89 129
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | National Alliance (AN) 2,566,848 6.67 8
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Forza Italia (FI) 679,154 1.76 1
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pannella List (LP) 432,667 1.12 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) 188,017 0.49 3
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Social Democracy for the Freedoms (PSDI–FDS) 147,493 0.38 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Southern Action League (LAM) 46,820 0.13 1
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Aosta Valley (VdA) 43,700 0.11 1
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Others 1,247,131 3.24 0
Total 38,504,158 100.00 475
Source: Ministry of the Interior
Proportional
Party Votes % Seats
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Forza Italia (FI) 8,136,135 21.01 30
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) 7,881,646 20.36 38
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| National Alliance (AN) 5,214,133 13.47 23
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Italian People's Party (PPI) 4,287,172 11.07 29
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Northern League (LN) 3,235,248 8.36 11
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 2,343,946 6.05 11
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Segni Pact (PS) 1,811,814 4.68 13
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pannella List (LP) 1,359,283 3.51 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Federation of the Greens (FdV) 1,047,268 2.70 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Italian Socialist Party (PSI) 849,429 2.19 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| The Network (LR) 719,841 1.86 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Democratic Alliance (AD) 456,114 1.18 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) 231,842 0.60 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| 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
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Southern Action League (LAM) 59,873 0.15 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Others 517,780 1.34 0
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
PdL–PdBG P PpI Others
style="background:Template:Party color;" | style="background:Template:Party color;" | style="background:Template:Party color;;" |
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
PdL–PdBG P PpI
style="background:Template:Party color;" | style="background:Template:Party color;" |
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 →
Template:Switcher
Coalition Party First-past-the-post Proportional
seats 		Total
seats 		+/–
Votes % Seats
rowspan="5" bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pole of Freedoms –
Pole of Good Government 		bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Northern League (LN) 13,342,940Template:Efn 40.34Template:Efn 128 28 60 +35
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | National Alliance (AN) 48 +32
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Forza Italia (FI) 36Template:Efn New
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) 12 New
Total seats 156 –
rowspan="7" style="background:Template:Party color;"| Progressives bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) 10,881,320 32.90 96 26 76Template:Efn +12
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 18 −2
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Italian Socialist Party (PSI) 9Template:Efn −40
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Federation of the Greens (FdV) 7 +3
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Democratic Alliance (AD) 6 New
The Network (LR) 6 +3
Total seats 122 –
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pact for Italy (PpI) 5,519,090 16.69 3 28 31 −64
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pannella List (LP) 767,765 2.32 0 1 1 +1
Lombard Alpine League (LAL) 246,046 0.74 0 1 1 ±0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) 217,137 0.66 3 0 3 ±0
Magris List (Magris) 61,400 0.19 1 0 1 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Aosta Valley (VdA) 27,493 0.08 1 0 1 ±0
Total 315 –

Detailed results

Party or coalition Votes % Seats
FPTP Proportional
style="background:Template:Party color;"| Progressives (P) 10,881,320 32.90 96 26
style="background:Template:Party color;"| Pole of Freedoms (PdL) 6,570,468 19.87 74 8
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pact for Italy (PpI) 5,519,090 16.69 3 28
style="background:Template:Party color;"| Pole of Good Government (PdBG) 4,544,573 13.74 56 19
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | National Alliance (AN) 2,077,934 6.28 0 8
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pannella List (LP) 767,765 2.32 0 1
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Pensioners' Party (PP) 250,637 0.76 0 0
Lombard Alpine League (LAL) 246,046 0.74 0 1
style="background:Template:Party color;" | 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
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az) 88,225 0.27 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Natural Law Party (PLN) 86,579 0.26 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | 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
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Southern Action League (LAM) 54,395 0.16 0 0
League for Piedmont 49,505 0.15 0 0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Aosta Valley (VdA) 27,493 0.08 1 0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Others 931,143 2.82 0 0
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
PdL–PdBG P PpI Others
style="background:Template:Party color;" | style="background:Template:Party color;" | style="background:Template:Party color;;" |
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
PpI PdL–PdBG P Others
style="background:Template:Party color;" | style="background:Template:Party color;" | style="background:Template:Party color;;" |
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 Coalition Party Votes %
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Silvio Berlusconi Pole FI 34,354 46.29
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Luigi Spaventa Progressives PDS 29,914 40.10
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Alberto Michelini Pact for Italy PS 9,566 12.82
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Others 593 0.79
Total 74,607 100.0
Turnout 77,562 77.19
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pole gain
Source: Ministry of the Interior
1994 Italian general election (C): Bologna – Borgo Panigale
Candidate Coalition Party Votes %
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Achille Occhetto Progressives PDS 52,997 59.77
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pier Ferdinando Casini Pole CCD 17,925 20.22
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Alfredo Ruocco None AN 7,388 8.33
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Maria Gualandi Pact for Italy PPI 7,133 8.04
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Oliviero Toscani None LP 3,225 3.64
Total 88,668 100.0
Turnout 91,571 95.03
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Progressives gain
Source: Ministry of the Interior
1994 Italian general election (C): Sassari
Candidate Coalition Party Votes %
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Carmelo Porcu Pole AN 30,623 36.14
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Mario Segni Pact for Italy PS 26,776 31.60
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Gavino Angius Progressives PDS 17,570 20.73
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Giacomo Spissu None PSd'Az 6,952 8.20
Gavino Sale None ParIS 1,185 1.40
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Giovanni Conoci None LR 966 1.14
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Others 664 0.78
Total 84,736 100.0
Turnout 89,504 86.02
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| 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.[5]

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."[6]

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

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  6. ↑ Clark, Martin (1996). Modern Italy, 1871–1995 (2nd ed.). Pearson Education Limited. p. 422.

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Further reading

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External links

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