In a different state? The action of Foundations of Banking Origin during the Covid emergency, between continuity and discontinuity

The article aims to investigate the transformation of the role of the main Italian philanthropic-financial actors - the foundations of banking origin (FOBs)in the policy-making within the emergency context of the syndemic. To do this, in the first part we present the four features characterising FOBs' relation with public policy before the outbreak of the syndemic, namely: 1) their capacity to intervene rapidly; 2) their innovation capacity; 3) their willingness to participate in the policy-making on an equal standing with the public actors; 4) their pretence of having greater ideational capacity, effectiveness and efficiency than the public actors. In the second part, relying on data and analyses of the discourses produced by the Fob, we analyse whether and how these four elements have changed during the syndemic and the impact of these shifts on FOBs' legitimation in the policy-making process. The concluding section highlights: a) the continuity between pre- and post-syndemic with respect to the tension between their capacity for emergency action and their capacity to elaborate long-term visions and strategies; b) the need to think about the action of the FOBs as part of the overall redefinition of the boundaries and roles between the public and private sectors, dating back to the 1990s; c) some ideas for future research.