ABSTRACT
The cases of France and Italy are particularly instructive about the impact of opposed frames on public opinion. While in the former case, the evidence used by President Chirac to rebut the American argument for war was largely approved and echoed by the national political elite, the Italian case offers a wider range of frames and counter-frames to justify either the country's participation in the 'coalition of the willing' or coercive 'appeasement'. Whether the object of the analysis is the White House's policy priority, the media's commitment to political coverage, or the public's interest in foreign policy, the Iraq war received constant attention from the three actors here examined, with only minor variations over time. In the French and Italian cases, the situation is somehow different, with the war ranking among the top concerns only at the occurrence of critical events. By contrast, the interest in the issue faded away when the country's policy towards Iraq was not under challenge.
