The Italian Government’s Pandemic Communication from Giuseppe Conte to Mario Draghi: Between “Leadership Building” and “Crisis Resolution”

Abstract

After the virus of SARS-CoV-2 appeared in China, Italy was the first country to experience the spread of the infection among Western nations. Two different governments, led, respectively, by Giuseppe Conte and Mario Draghi, have been in office during the first 2 years of the pandemic. This essay focuses on the different communicative and narrative strategies adopted by the two Italian government leaders to manage the crisis. Notably, it tries to interpret them in the light of two polar attitudes. On the one hand, the search for a consensus to legitimize and support the crisis management policies. On the other hand, the search for a consensus aimed at building leadership. Finally, it tries to identify the many causal variables accountable for these different attitudes.