The Italian government response to Covid-19 and the making of a prime minister

Bull, MJ

Abstract

Italy was the first European democracy to be hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government’s response, especially in the first wave, was confused, dilatory and inadequate, and the country found itself in an unprecedented public health crisis, leading to a national lockdown between March and May. The easing of restrictions in May and an improved situation in the summer did not prevent cases rising again from the autumn onwards, and Italy finished the year in a series of mini-lockdowns. The government was confronted with a debate over Italy’s high death toll and the role of the executive’s own failings in it. Yet, the pandemic did not prompt a political crisis. Rather, it had the effect of blunting the frontal opposition of the League and strengthening the standing of the government with the public. This especially applied to the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, whose personal ratings soared, as the public rallied behind a leader facing the greatest challenge of any peacetime Italian prime minister.

Citation

Bull, M. (2021). The Italian government response to Covid-19 and the making of a prime minister. Contemporary Italian Politics, 13(2), 149-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/23248823.2021.1914453

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 20, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jun 9, 2021
• Publication Date: Jun 9, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jun 15, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 15, 2021
• Journal: Contemporary Italian Politics
• Print ISSN: 2324-8823
• Electronic ISSN: 2324-8831
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 149-165
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23248823.2021.1914453
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/23248823.2021.1914453
• Related Public URLs: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rita20/current