How did the Italian political system respond to the challenges and opportunities of implementing the European Recovery and Resilient Facility? The paper answers this question by charting the research agenda that guides the contributions collected in this special issue. In particular, the paper sets out two major research goals. First, it introduces the tenets for a systematic examination of the process of formulation of the policies adopted within the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Second, we advance a theoretical framework to interpret how the Italian recovery and resilience policies are likely to affect domestic and European politics. More precisely, the paper specifies the potential channels and mechanisms through which « akes politics» during such a particular and delicate critical juncture.