Care, Institutional Participation, and the Material Conditions of Democratic Inclusion: A Comparative Analysis of the European Union (2022–2023)

Abstract This article examines how care capacity and institutional participation shape the material conditions of democratic inclusion across European Union member states (2022–2023). Drawing on Fraser’s framework, it conceptualizes participation as materially and institutionally mediated rather than as a purely formal status. The analysis uses a country-level panel dataset combining Eurostat indicators, an original index of LGBTQIAPN+ policy infrastructures, and macroeconomic controls. It constructs a composite index capturing the material conditions that enable participation, including deprivation, healthcare access, and social integration. OLS models show that economic capacity is strongly associated with participation conditions, while institutional participation plays a more limited and conditional role. The findings suggest that democratic inclusion depends on the articulation between material infrastructures and institutional forms of participation.