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This article, which introduces a special issue, compares the record of five South European states – Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Turkey – in managing the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. Southern Europe’s reputation for low state capacity, political polarisation and weak health systems all posed potential obstacles to an effective governmental response. However, despite these shared characteristics, these countries’ records in Covid management varied widely. The article investigates whether this variation can be explained by national differences in degree of preparedness, state capacities, political dynamics or societal factors. It concludes that while the degree of decentralisation played a role in the initial response, the most significant factor was the timing of the virus’ arrival in each country, resulting in different opportunities for governments to design and implement effective responses