He subsequently won the elections, with Forza Italia garnering 21% of the popular vote, the highest percentage of any single party.

He was appointed prime minister in 1994, but his term in office was short because of the inherent contradictions in his coalition: the League, a regional party with a strong electoral base in northern Italy, was at that time fluctuating between federalist and separatist positions, and the Italian Social Movement was a nationalist party that had yet to renounce neo-fascism at the time.

In December 1994, following the communication of a new investigation from Milan magistrates that was leaked to the press, Umberto Bossi, leader of the Northern League, left the coalition claiming that the electoral pact had not been respected, forcing Berlusconi to resign from office and shifting the majority's weight to the centre-left side.

The Northern League also resented the fact that many of its MPs had switched to Forza Italia, allegedly lured by promises of more prestigious portfolios.

Berlusconi remained prime minister for a little over a month until his replacement by a technocratic government headed by Lamberto Dini.