European Capitals of Culture and the Political Quarrel over Culture: Toward a Model of Embedded Social Justice

This article examines a model of social justice that European Capitals of Culture (ECoCs) might integrate into their cultural strategies to prevent the reproduction of social inequalities through cultural consumption. Drawing on Bourdieu, Fraser, and Mouffe, I propose a framework incorporating cultural capital and participatory governance. This model blends leftist and rightist approaches, combining distributive justice and dismantling cultural hegemony with meritocracy, excellence and heritage. I argue that a significant outcome of this entanglement is the potential to foster collective European citizenship and awareness, promoting competitive narratives of belonging while avoiding inequalities between residents, tourists, and host cities.