Broadcasted simultaneously on television and social media to reach all possible targets of institutional communication in the current emergency phase, the speeches of the Italian Premier Conte of 11 March 2020 and of French President Macron of 16 March 2020 reflect their personalities and different communication registers and leadership visions, but also identical strategies to face the health, economic and social emergency deriving from the Covid-19 crisis. Equally, the response given in both countries was significantly belated compared to the speed of spreading of the pandemic…