The election of Oscar Luigi Scalfaro as President of the Chamber of Deputies in 1992 sparked the ire of President Cossiga, who considered him his staunch political adversary; Cossiga threatened to resign unless Forlani resigned as DC secretary. When Forlani did not resign, Cossiga carried out his threat. Notably, a year earlier, Cossiga had appointed Andreotti to the Senate for life, an act that traditionally signalled a president's intended successor. This suggested that Andreotti's appointment was meant to pave the way for his own presidential ambitions—his ultimate aspiration after 50 years in power.

As the country's climate grew increasingly hostile toward the political class and the economic crisis took its toll, parliamentary ballots began electing the new head of state. However, the first three rounds of voting revealed a stalemate. Within the DC, hesitation prevailed; no one wanted to run directly due to uncertain internal support. Eventually, the DC settled on the name of Secretary Forlani, encouraged also by an agreement with Craxi. Even so, Forlani failed to win in both the fifth and sixth ballots. This failure stemmed from vote losses caused by Andreotti's supporters' scheming, as later confirmed by Paolo Cirino Pomicino. As a result, the DC secretary withdrew. Days passed as further ballots failed to yield agreement; many candidates fell by the wayside. Finally, during the 14th ballot, the DC attempted to shift support to Giuliano Vassalli (PSI), a move welcomed by Christian Democrats but spoiled by 181 snipers, mostly from within the DC. This underscored the party's deep divisions and ungovernability, marking the final straw that led Forlani to resign.

Amid this ongoing political stalemate, as Andreotti formally advanced his candidacy after negotiations among parties became exhausted, an external crisis intervened: Giovanni Falcone was killed by the Mafia on May 23. This tragedy underscored the urgency of finding consensus. In response, by the 16th ballot, the parties opted to choose between the two Speakers of the Chambers—Scalfaro and Spadolini. Oscar Luigi Scalfaro was ultimately elected with 672 votes. Thus, Andreotti's longstanding dream of securing the presidency vanished after he and his close allies had repeatedly undermined other potential candidates, especially those put forward by his own party.