Expertise and Gender Biases: Shaping Crisis Leadership in Italy and Spain

From the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war, national governments have been struggling to address the energy shortage balancing concerns over economic security with pro-environmental policies. One potential approach involves appointing independent experts to key ministerial roles, bypassing democratic accountability. This study focuses on Italian and Spanish political attitudes toward appointing independent experts or politicians to lead responses to the energy crisis in the Ministries of Economics and Finance, and Environment and Energy Security. Of particular interest is understanding gender-based biases in candidate selection. Prior research has unveiled that woman may face challenges when seeking roles in economic policy due to gender-based expectations, yet they find favor in environmental policy due to perceived associations with female-centric domains. Nevertheless, a gap in the literature remains regarding whether gender-based biases similarly impact women in technocratic roles or if their expertise level mitigates any negative effects. To delve into these dynamics, a forced-choice conjoint experiment was integrated into the ResPOnsE COVID-19 (Italy, 2023) and GENPOLIII surveys (Spain, 2023). The study anticipates a preference for technocratic profiles over politicians, with variations based on respondents' political inclinations and demographics. Furthermore, the study aims to uncover whether favorability toward female candidates is contingent upon their profile as politicians or technocrats, as well as the gender of the respondent. This investigation seeks to illuminate public preferences regarding technocratic versus political leadership in addressing the energy crisis. By exploring gender biases in candidate selection, it endeavors to unveil nuanced perceptions and contribute to understanding the interplay between gender, expertise, and public opinion during times of crisis.