The Country in Crisis starts with a simple question: in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, could Italy have done better?
Through the multidisciplinary contribution of 35 experts and academics, the reader acquires the necessary notions to rethink events from a different perspective: that of crisis management.
Rapidly transformed from a health emergency to a systemic crisis, the pandemic has put our institutions to the test on multiple fronts: the ability to reason in terms of complexity; the resilience of the health, social, and economic system; the operational and legal instruments available; the organisation and chain of command; the articulation of clear and effective communication; the transparency of the management system; and relations with other countries.
The study addresses the peculiarities of the crises of the 21st century, the distinction of this emergency, and provides the reader with some basic notions. After an analysis of how the state is organised to handle emergencies and critical situations, the book analyses in detail the management of the pandemic crisis in the first phase, the limits that emerged, and the role of scientists, experts, and journalists.
COVID-19 should ring the alarm bell for the next crisis. In order not to be left unprepared again, we need to be aware that a rethinking of the state’s crisis management system can no longer be delayed.
The authors will donate the proceeds of the book to the Theodora Foundation (https://it.theodora.org).
Date of publication: 23 March 2021. Editor Franco Angeli