Fundació Neus Català: Continuing the anti-fascist resistance

The antifascist legacy of Neus Català is one of resilience, perseverance, and bravery. After a lifetime of fighting for justice, Català passed away in 2019.

Four years later, the Fundació Neus Català opened its doors with a dual mission: To keep her legacy alive and to use her life’s work as a “beacon for others in the fight against today’s far-right and fascist movements.”

Another important aim of the foundation is “to ensure that history does not repeat itself,” by putting history in a contemporary context, and doing “the important work of analyzing the phenomenon that is the far-right today”, says Ricard Ribera Llorens, president of the Neus Català Foundation from its headquarters in the Barceloneta neighborhood of the Catalan capital.

The foundation carries out this work through education, and “a variety of projects”, some more academic and others more pedagogical, such as exhibitions or talks around the country.

“We are convinced that antifascism is the basis, the key to democracy,” he says, and emphasizes the need to give “social and human depth to the word ‘democracy’. It’s not just about casting your vote.”

To prevent history from repeating itself, Ribera stresses the importance of awareness and willingness to fight against inequality.

“Social problems like access to housing can also form part of the fight against fascism, the fight to achieve decent living conditions.”

What drives far-right movements?

Understanding far-right movements and why they exist is equally important, explains Ribera.

However, he says that it’s “a bit simplistic” to define the far-right or fascism solely based on what we know from the 1920s-1930s and 1940s, although “the far-right today has many things in common with the far-right of the 20th century.”

One of the key factors that allows far-right movements to thrive, he says, is crisis - and the ability to rally people around it.

“The far-right has historically managed to engage the working classes and divide them during times of crisis, be they economic, social, or other crises, to shake the foundation of the political and social system. And that’s when the resurgence of the far-right starts to make sense again, which has been happening for quite a few years now, in a moment where precarious living conditions are so prevalent in our lives.”

Diversity in far-right movements

The ability to exploit crisis also makes the movements highly adaptable, and the global rise of them today is proof of that.

“We see far-right movements that focus on identity politics, or one that is post-Francoist. Or in Europe, in the case of Germany, we see them co-opting women’s rights in some contexts, something we wouldn't necessarily consider the old-fashioned far-right discourse, so the movement adapts itself,” explains the director.

Another example is Argentina, where Javier Milei, president since 2023, leads what Ribera calls an “anarcho-capitalist and ultraliberal” far-right.

“It can clash with the idea we have of a far-right that is hierarchical and community-based,” he explains, adding that they are creating a type of far-right that is “more centered around individualism and in going against the state.”

But “they are the far-right, let’s be clear on that,” he emphasizes.

Ribera also points to US Donald Trump as a reference for global far-right movements.

“With Trump’s second mandate, we have seen how his first 100 days in office are becoming a playbook for the far-right around the world and are marking clearly what the plan is.”

This, he says, is "emboldening” the movement, which results in them doing the so-called “Roman Salute” "without any insecurities” something that would have seemed “surreal just six months ago.”

Far-right on the rise in Catalonia

Ribera also stresses that Catalonia is not immune to the trend.

“A post-Francoist far-right has emerged, and shortly afterwards, we have started to see an identarian far-right that is oriented towards pro-independence, that operates in similar spaces, but in different ways,” he says. “Unfortunately, both hold seats in the Catalan Parliament.”

Need for a united front

To counter these movements, Ribera stresses the importance of “working together” and “outlining an alternative for the country, which speaks to everyone and guarantees the rights for everyone. It’s the only way.”

But, it’s a task that the foundation cannot handle alone, says Ribera, although he stresses that they put "a lot of work and effort into it.”

 “We need to do it as a society, from the public institutions, grassroots, social movements, and as individuals, who are collectively implicated.”

Learning from Neus Català

Ribera believes there is much to learn from Neus Català’s anti-fascist fight, particularly the value of working together and of peace.

In her biography, 'Neus Català, Memory and Struggle’ by Elisenda Belenguer Mercadé, Català recalls crying when seeing American planes bombing German cities “non-stop.” It made her realize that the war wasn’t over, but that “somewhere on Earth, a war must be taking place.”

“A culture of peace is essential, and we have gone far backward in this regard in recent years and decades,” concludes Ribera.