Mobilization of expert knowledge and advice for the management of the Covid-19 emergency in Italy in 2020

This qualitative case study, part of the ESCAPE project, examines how expert advice was sought, produced, and utilized in managing Italy's 2020 Covid-19 emergency. Italy's response involved various expert advisory groups, some legally mandated, others ad hoc. The study uses primary (stakeholder interviews) and secondary data (official documents). Key findings include the close alignment of technical advice and political response in the initial phase, the dominance of epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists, and a shift from strict national lockdown to region-specific restrictions. The findings highlight how expert politics can reinforce knowledge hierarchies favoring hard sciences and the limited integration of economic and social expertise.

Silvia Camporesi, Federica Angeli, Giorgia Dal Fabbro