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June 1, 2026Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis Research and Practice1 citationsOpen Access

Socio-technical Governance and Legitimation Processes: A Comparative Analysis of the Belgian, Italian, and Spanish National Recovery and Resilience Plans

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GEGiovanni EspositoALAndrea LippiATAndrea Terlizzi

Key Points

  • The research examines how legitimation processes occur within National Recovery and Resilience Plans amid crisis situations.
  • Comparative analysis of National Recovery and Resilience Plans from Belgium, Italy, and Spain.
  • Conceptual framework focusing on socio-technical governance instruments.
  • Identification of four legitimation processes: demonstrative, allusive, functional, and representative.
  • Distinct legitimation processes identified: evidence-based, symbolic, authority-endorsed, and value-aligned.
  • Belgium, Italy, and Spain exhibit unique approaches to constructing legitimacy during crisis.
  • Findings highlight the interplay between social and technical components in governance.

Abstract

This article investigates legitimation processes in crisis situations, focusing on the European Union’s Next Generation EU (NGEU) program and its core instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). To access RRF funds, Member States must submit National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs), which integrate social and technical components. The article conceptualizes NRRPs as socio-technical governance instruments and examines how legit- imation unfolds in Belgium, Italy, and Spain. Four distinct legitimation processes are highlighted: demonstrative (evidence-based), allusive (symbolic), functional (authority-endorsed), and repre- sentative (value-aligned), illustrating how different political systems construct legitimacy in times of crisis.

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Cite This Study

Esposito et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a1d20f302fbce9130637305https://doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2026.2666244
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1The Political Legitimacy of Multilevel Crisis Governance: The EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility2025
  2. 2The recovery and resilience facility as a new legal technology of European governance2024 · 7 citations
  3. 3Governing the European Union's recovery and resilience facility: National ownership and performance‐based financing in theory and practice2024 · 12 citations
  4. 4The NGEU comes to Visegrád: implementation process and throughput legitimacy2024 · 1 citations
  5. 5The recovery and resilience facility as a transition stabiliser: recovery agendas across government transitions2026