Territorial Governance in Times of Crisis

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of multi-level governance, political communication and public opinion in Italy during the Covid-19 emergency. "The Covid19 pandemic contributed to shed light on the unresolved issues that have long underpinned Italian regionalism. This book re-constructs and assesses them from a multi-dimensional perspective, offering an original, rigorous and timely analysis of territorial governance dynamics that will be valuable also for other countries." —Gianfranco Viesti, Professor of Applied Economics, University of Bari, Italy. This book offers a comprehensive analysis of multi-level governance, political communication and public opinion in Italy during the Covid-19 pandemic. It demonstrates how the crisis acted as a catalyst in amplifying and exacerbating existing territorial disparities, while also highlighting the resilience and adaptability of some regions to cope with the emergency. The book also delves into the national and sub-national responses to the pandemic, examines how politicians and regional leaders presented them to the public, and how they were perceived by citizens. Through this analysis, it provides deeper insights into the intricate interplay between centralization and decentralization, as well as the diverse strategies employed by policymakers to address a wide spectrum of health, social, and economic challenges. Ultimately, by shifting the focus from institutions to citizens, the book reflects on how external shocks can both challenge the democratic underpinnings of decentralization and offer opportunities to strengthen them. These findings have important repercussions for many other nations, where debates over centralization and decentralization remain a pertinent and important issue. Arianna Giovannini is Associate Professor in Political Sociology in the Department of Economy, Society and Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Italy. Antonella Seddone is Associate Professor in Political Science in the Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, Italy. Davide Vampa is Senior Lecturer in Territorial Politics and co-director of the Centre on Constitutional Change, University of Edinburgh, UK. This book offers a comprehensive exploration of multi-level governance, political communication and public opinion in Italy during the Covid-19 emergency. Italy’s territorial arrangements of blending aspects of unitary and federal systems within a ‘regionalized’ framework underscore the tensions between centralization and decentralization, a theme echoed in many other nations. Given the state of flux and lack of clear direction of Italian regionalism at the onset of the pandemic, the analysis provides particularly interesting insights into the effects of this unprecedented crisis on regional dynamics. Covid-19 acted as a catalyst, amplifying and exacerbating existing territorial disparities, while also highlighting the resilience and adaptability of some regions. The book delves into the national and sub-national responses to the pandemic, examines how politicians and regional leaders presented them, and how citizens perceived these responses. Through this analysis, it provides deeper insights into the intricate interplay between centralization and decentralization, as well as the diverse strategies employed to address a wide spectrum of health, social, and economic challenges. Ultimately, by moving from institutions to citizens, the book reflects on how external shocks can both challenge the democratic underpinnings of decentralization and offer opportunities to strengthen them.