Squabbling leaders, publicity-seeking scientists, and late containment efforts show that authoritarian regimes aren’t the only ones mismanaging public health crises.

口論する

ROME—Italy currently has the world’s second-largest reported coronavirus infection rate after China, and it is the first country in the West dealing with a sizable outbreak, with 9,172 confirmed cases and 463 deaths;

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Many people scrambled to leave the “red zone,” either by train or car, before the government officially announced the decree.

officials order

This strange combination of severity and amateurism is quite typical of a nation historically burdened by volatile governments, shifting parliamentary coalitions, inscrutable power struggles, and a self-harming tendency to sacrifice its international credibility on the altars of domestic squabbles.

不安定

But if its dysfunctional political system, amateurish ruling class, and short-sighted leaders continue to squabble while Italians die, Rome’s response could end up making the authoritarians in Beijing—despite their initial cover-ups—look more competent in moments of crisis.

独裁