Tabacci was born in Quistello, Lombardy. Graduated in Economics at University of Parma, he was a freelance consultant in economy and finance. During the early 1980s he was head of the studies office at the Ministry of Industry together with Giovanni Marcora and, subsequently, head of the Technical Secretariat at the Treasury Office with Giovanni Goria. From 1970 to 1985 Tabacci was councillor for several municipalities in the province of Mantua, including Mantua itself. From 1985 to 1991 he was regional councillor of Lombardy and from 1987 to 1989 he also served as President of the Region, during which time he dealt with the disastrous flood in Valtellina. In 1988 he was President of “Alpe-Adria”, an association of Alpine and Adriatic Regions; an experience of significant international cooperation with areas in Eastern Europebefore the fall of the Berlin wall. In 1990 he became head of the DC council group and then vice-president of the regional council. In 1991 he was President of the Committee for restructuring the livestock sector at the Ministry of Agriculture. During the XI legislature he was elected National Parliamentary Deputy for the Mantua-Cremona constituency; member of the Budget Commission and proposer of the Financial Act 1994 laid out by the Ciampi Cabinet. He was on the board of administration of Eni, Snam, Efibanca. Between 1999-2000 he was president of Autocisa, from which he resigned when he became a Parliamentary candidate. He was re-elected Parliamentary Deputy in 2001 for the House of Freedoms in the constituency of Castiglione delle Stiviere. He joined the group UDC. In June 2001 he was elected president of the 10th parliamentary commission for production, commerce and tourism. Tabacci was one of parliament's most active members, introducing bills, such as “New standards in the authority of security, regulation and inspection”, where he was primary signatory, as well as several proposals and amendments concerning energy and immigration issues. On 11 December 2001 he was appointed Coordinator of VAST, committee for the assessment of scientific and technological decisions, by decree from the President of the Chamber. In August 2002 he was appointed President of the Italian-Mexican co-operation commission. In 2006 he was re-elected Parliamentary Deputy for UDC and became a member of the Treasury commission. In 2008 Tabacci founded, together with Savino Pezzotta and Mario Baccini, the White Rose party and was re-elected Deputy among the ranks of the Union of the Centre. In 2012 Tabacci founded the Democratic Centre and with this party, allied with the PD, was re-elected Deputy in 2013. In 2018 Tabacci granted to More Europe of Emma Bonino the symbol of the Democratic Centre to exempt it from the collection of signatures, required by Italian law to present the list for the elections. In the 2018 general election he was thus re-elected in the Milano 1 uninominal constituency.
