Crisis, Italy, nation branding, public diplomacy, soft power

Italy, as most countries in the world, has been facing a long period of crises which has brought unprecedented challenges. Italian politicians and scientists interpret this period as the so-called “decade of crises” (2015–2024), starting with the migration crisis of 2015, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the escalation of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. These challenges have been generating health, financial and social crises and have profoundly affected our lives and our habits. The new challenges also influenced political leadership, and national governments and international organisations had to react to situations without precedent.
The new situation caused by the different crises forced nations to rethink the strategies, priorities and instruments they use for nation branding and public diplomacy. In this new and increasingly competitive and interconnected world, nation branding has become a crucial way to promote a country in a period when nation states have more need than ever to be assessed positively.
The research analyses how Italy has adjusted its policies, strategies and institutional system responsible for nation branding accordingly in this new and sometimes very conflictual and controversial context. The research examines primary sources, the relevant legislation, strategies, programmes and the institutional structure responsible for their implementation, and uses interviews with senior officials to assess the efficiency of the government's response to crises, the results of the introduced integrated approach and “shared” governance. The analysis of the efficiency will be completed by analysing the evolution of Italy's position in international rankings, assessing whether the measures introduced during the crisis period have had a measurable positive impact.

TANÁCS-MANDÁK, FANNI