Crisi di fiducia come emergenza La co-produzione di scienza e legittimità democratica in Italia e in Europa sulla base del Rapporto Demetra 2025

This paper explores the relationship between scientific authority and democratic legitimacy in contemporary Europe, focusing on Italy through data from the Demetra 2025 Survey “Gli italiani e la scienza tra pandemia e politica energetica”. Although about 80% of Italians express confidence in science, this trust is fragile and uneven. Science is admired as a source of progress but also viewed with suspicion for its proximity to political and economic power. The study argues that legitimacy today depends less on scientific truth itself than on transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. Comparative analysis shows that countries with strong, independent scientific institutions enjoy more stable public trust, while systems relying on individual experts, as in Italy, experience more volatility. Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency reveal how science becomes a key political actor, shaping and legitimizing public decisions. The authors propose a “new epistemic pact” between science and democracy – an institutional framework that ensures expert input without undermining democratic sovereignty. Strengthening autonomy, communication, and inclusion in scientific governance is presented as essential to rebuilding public trust and preventing future crises of legitimacy.