Back to the past? Discourse coalitions in Italy's emerging nuclear policy debate

Nuclear energy is a technology that has long been subject to controversy, shaped by major global events, shifting public opinion and volatile policy agendas. Among industrialised democracies, Italy is a particularly distinctive case. Following a pioneering role in the 1950s and an ambitious, albeit partially implemented, nuclear programme in the 1970s, the Chernobyl disaster and the 1987 referendum resulted in the complete phase-out of nuclear power. A second referendum in 2011, following the Fukushima disaster, reaffirmed public opposition to any attempt to revive nuclear power. Despite these precedents, nuclear energy has recently returned to the political agenda. This initiative is embedded in broader European debates on the potential of nuclear power in decarbonization and energy security in the context of the crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This article uses discourse network analysis of media data to investigate the re-emerging debate on nuclear policy in Italy. Specifically, it examines the structure of the debate, the types of actors involved, their framing strategies, how discourse has evolved over time and how pro- and anti-nuclear coalitions have formed. The findings reveal that the Italian nuclear policy debate exhibits a hub-and-spoke structure, with influence concentrated among a small number of dominant actors. Over time, the debate has evolved from initial structuration to consolidation and pluralization in terms of actors, coalitions, and concepts. Nevertheless, despite some differences, pro-nuclear actors and coalitions retain significant visibility and influence.