Alessandro Farnese's alliance with France was only tactical, and he was a rival of Cardinal d'Este, the leader and candidate of the French faction.

[3] Seeing the defeat of its favorites, one faction put forward Giacomo del Pozzo's candidacy as a compromise and managed to convince most of the neutral cardinals to support it.

In consultation with the French and Cardinal d'Este, Farnese proposed Bishop Carafa of Ostia and undertook a successful campaign for him.

Sixteen other cardinals headed by Sforza and Madruzzo strongly opposed Carafa, as Emperor Charles V had explicitly excluded him.

This proved to be an effective method, as early as May 23, three of Carafa's opponents (Bertani, Cornaro and Poggio) switched to his side, giving him the required majority.

Although considered a worthy candidate, Carafa had many enemies and was widely feared as a harsh inquisitor, so few expected him to get the required majority.