Regional elections in Tuscany were ruled by the "Tatarella law" (approved in 1995), which provided for a mixed electoral system: four fifths of the regional councilors were elected in provincial constituencies by proportional representation, using the largest remainder method with a droop quota and open lists, while the residual votes and the unassigned seats were grouped into a "single regional constituency", where the whole ratios and the highest remainders were divided with the Hare method among the provincial party lists; one fifth of the council seats instead was reserved for regional lists and assigned with a majoritarian system: the leader of the regional list that scored the highest number of votes was elected to the presidency of the Region while the other candidates were elected regional councilors.

In the context of the profound political changes that invested Italy between 1992 and 1994, Italian Parliament changed the regional electoral law, adapting them to new majoritarian principle now in vogue in the country, trim and tend bipolar politics.

The new political geography, however, did not fit properly to Tuscany where, besides a garrison of right, assumed insignificant importance the presence of Umberto Bossi's Northern League, which, instead of the others regions, sustained the centre-left candidate.

PRC accused the PDS and at the same time the Northern League accused Forza Italia to be the trojan horse for the recycling of the old political class, had led to the arrest of the Northern League's electoral steady ascent, if not also a marked reflux into the consent of the federalist party.

Election on April 23 saw the success of the broad leftist coalition, grouping progressive ex-Christian Democrats, ex-socialist, ex-communist and greens, and led to presidency Vannino Chiti that, with the majority premium, was able to give life to the first council in the history of the region that managed to last the entire legislature.