The 19 Points of the J.A.P.

“Against parliamentarism. Against dictatorship. The people join the government in an organic and hierarchical manner, not through degenerate democracy”. This is one of the points that best illustrates the ideology of the Popular Action Youth organization JAP. A 19-point program made up of short, emphatic statements in which, as well as a profoundly anti-democratic ideology, there is a clear admiration for the leader, the traditional Christian family, and the Spanish nation.

The JAP was one of the many youth organizations: anarchist, syndicalist, socialist, atheist, and radical, that existed during the Second Republic. The JAP was connected to the CEDA (Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rightwing Groups) led by José María Gil Robles. He took part in its foundation, as he put it, in order to take youth away from the influence of politics that could “wear down their enthusiasm because politics… is something that intellectually and morally deforms those who encounter it in their formative years… We must avoid your political deflowering… We would like that you had nothing to do with politics, but since it has penetrated everywhere… the best thing is for us to bring you to reliably serious organizations”.

The JAP was the most important autonomous group organized by the CEDA. It was also one of the most active youth groups during the Republic, with its security activities in the streets making them both visible and popular. However, its ongoing radicalization led it to an ever more fascist position, as its statutes reveal. Anti-democracy; anticapitalism; no decisions were made by voting. The cult of the leader, Gil Robles, took them to the edge of fascism, from which they were separated only by those of the members who were pacifist Catholics, not at all inclined to the use of violence.

FMP