The image of the EU as crisis manager: a multilevel analysis of framing in Italian political discourse during the pandemic crisis by Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic posed an unprecedented challenge to the European Union, exposing it to new legitimacy pressures. This article analyses the image of the EU as crisis manager in the Italian political discourse during the pandemic crisis, combining framing analysis and political claim analysis in two communicative arenas: the national press (La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera) and political communication on Twitter. Through a mixed-methodological approach, the study investigates how political actors and media have constructed narratives of legitimisation or delegitimisation of the Union in the period 2020-2022. The results show that the visibility of the EU increased significantly during the crisis, with a strong polarisation between government and opposition. Prevailing frames focus on symbolic dimensions, in particular solidarity, initially evoked in a critical sense and later reactivated in a positive key with the approval of the NextGenerationEU. The press tends towards a more articulated narrative evolution, while Twitter is confirmed as a highly polarised communicative arena. The study contributes to the understanding of the discursive mechanisms of legitimacy in crisis contexts and shows how the pandemic acted as a catalyst for the (re)construction of the EU's public image in the Italian national debate.