How the health services of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto handled the Covid-19 emergency

The article analyses how the regional health serevices of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto handled the Coronavirus emergency in the initial months of 2020. For each region, it is identified who was in charge, what role was attributed to experts, what emergency structures were set up. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which the regions interacted with the national government, the ability to frame the problem, the promptness with which certain policy measures were adopted, the ability to use the knowledge at their disposal. Lombardy is charged with a series of errors, largely due to having passively followed some directives issued by the national government. Veneto, going against some national indications, showed readiness in making decisions and bricolage skills. Emilia-Romagna, after an initial hesitation, showed the ability to reorganize itself, and to learn from mistakes.