The Italian Government’s Readiness for the Covid-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Leadership, Media, Politics, and Pandemics: The Italian Case

Abstract

Italy’s experience with the Covid-19 stands out from all other countries because it was the first liberal democracy to be hit by the pandemic. The months of February and March 2020 will be marked forever as a major event in the history of the Italian Republic because of the emergency that ensued (which the country temporarily alone). A fragile coalition government was suddenly challenged with a public health crisis of unprecedented proportions. Its hesitancy and mistakes subsequently generated significant controversy, and even legal investigations that might still result in the prosecution of the Prime Minister and Minister of Health. The question this paper explores is how ready were the Italian authorities for dealing with a worldwide pandemic, how ready did the Italian government think it was, and how ready should it have been.

Author

• Martin J Bull, University of Salford