ABSTRACT
Italy was the first Western and European country to deal with the COVID-19 emergency in mid-February 2020, the nation where the most drastic measures were adopted – up to the total lockdown of its population, public events, commercial and productive activities – and where the limits were maintained longer than in any other country.
Prime Minister (PM) Giuseppe Conte’s government, who did not enjoy a high consensus of support, exercised a clear and personalised leadership in the management of the crisis and proceeded very gradually, introducing rules and limitations as the situation worsened.
The Italian health system was not ready to face a pandemic of this size. Delays in response and shortages of medical equipment contributed to aggravate the crisis that in the first few months saw the highest death rate in the world. A robust institutional conflict between national institutions on one side, and local governments and European authorities on the other, further complicated the crisis management. Despite this, the government managed to communicate effectively throughout the crisis; experts and medical staff played a crucial role and Italians reacted responsibly and creatively. By late June, COVID-19 was under control; support for the government and PM Giuseppe Conte largely increased and the Italian response to the health emergency was officially praised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General.
