Vision and Trust after Covid-19: the role of italian political elites

The relationship between Italians and the elites is ambiguous: phases of great distrust alternate with ones in which the elites are very high appreciated. This is not an exceptional phenomenon, being a characteristic of a representative democracy’s functioning. This article aims to review the turning points in the history of the Italian political system in which the role of the elites proved pivotal. Examples include the change in the electoral law, the birth of a technocratic government and, during the crisis, the party system. However, it is sometimes external factors that influence the actions of the elites. Covid-19 is one such case, having impacted the system of the Italian elites. While on the one hand it “awakened” them, on the other it highlighted the absence of elites resulting from the interaction between the party, electoral and government systems. However, there are signs of trust: a new system of elites could arise from a new balance between the quality of its members and the institutions that allow everyone to aspire to top positions.