The energy transition in Italian politics: Conflicting frames between ideology, competition and policy

Abstract

Speakers: Giulio Citroni, University of Calabria Francesco Campolongo, University of Calabria Valeria Tarditi, University of Calabria Political discourses and framing processes contribute to determine agenda setting, policy formulation and decision-making, and are an integral part of political conflicts. Policies and politics concerning the energy transition are subject to a variety of interpretations by political and social actors, which influence their action in policy arenas and networks: how the problem of transition is defined, who is held to be responsible for it, who are the victims and what are the solutions are relevant aspects of framing which inform policy preferences and choices. The seminar will present original research on the politicisation of discourses on the energy transition, through the qualitative analysis of the party manifestos of Italian parties in elections before and after the energy crisis of 2021. A wider comparative research agenda and early results will be discussed, which look at the role of discourses in local conflicts over the energy transition.