This article introduces the rationale of the Symposium. It emphasizes that while the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) constitutes a key opportunity for Italy to enact major reforms and drive a process of modernisation of the administrative and economic system, its implementation is hampered by a political system that has proved immature to deliver a long-term policy agenda. In the conclusions, the authors stress the risk that – also in the light of the recent government crisis and forthcoming early general elections, in a decidedly complicated international scenario – the Italian NRRP may become a missed opportunity.