X-ray of youth: Vox takes advantage of the ultra-right wave while the youth of October 1st are retired

BarcelonaThe data is clear: Young people are one of the most conservative groups in Catalan society.. Young people between 18 and 24 years old are the least supporters of democracy and, in addition, in this sector the rejection of immigration and feminism is growing, a phenomenon that experts link the rise of the far right on social mediaAll of this coexists with traditional avenues for activism in the youth wing of political parties, which remain a minority form of association among young people. Now, how are youth organizations dealing with the decline of more progressive positions among young people and the far-right's online guerrillas?

In Catalonia, there are five youth organizations officially affiliated with political parties: the Socialist Youth of Catalonia (PSC), the Nationalist Youth of Catalonia (Juntos), Jovent Republicà (ERC), the Young Ecosocialists (Comunes), and the New Generations (PP). According to sources from all of them, the profile of a militant is, initially, that of a young person with higher education and aged twenty-five. The motives that lead them to knock on the doors of youth organizations vary depending on the organization: language and nation are often factors that concern those affiliated with the JNC and Jovent Republicà, while the Joventuts Ecosocialistes welcome people concerned about the climate crisis and seeking "refuge" from the far right, many of whom because...

Security and immigration are the issues of greatest interest to young people in New Generations. Within the Socialist Youth, sources from the training, education, employment, housing, and equality sectors explain, these are the issues that most mobilize them. For the moment, they have not detected a growing interest in their organization since they have governed at all four levels of government. But belonging to the JSC is a gateway to institutional representation: they have 100 councilors, four deputies in Parliament, two deputies in Congress, and two senators, more than any other youth organization. They have more than 1,000 members; only they and Comuns—with 600 members—provide figures on the number of members. In New Generations, they emphasize that one way to attract young people is the fact that they see they can play an institutional role, which they use as a "lure." –Mireia Esteve reports.

In response to questions from ARA, the JNC and Jovent Republicà assert that they have never publicly reported membership figures. However, the Junts youth groups assert that they have detected an upswing in membership, particularly following the last campaign with former president Carles Puigdemont in exile, when many young people took advantage of bus trips to Northern Catalonia to make the move. New Generations have also detected an increase in membership. especially since they have made a comeback in the Parliament.

At Jovent Republicà they don't hide the fact that they have work to do to regain muscle. now that the independence movement is at a low point, despite having an attraction, the Acampada Jove, which makes them especially visible. There is still another added challenge: they are retire Young people who were university students on October 1st and therefore participated in the referendum. This generational shift is also taking place within the youth organizations of the pro-independence left (such as La Forja, Arran, or Sepc, which do not consider themselves CUP youth organizations). In Arran, with around 400 members, they note a greater concern among young people for more social issues and, unlike the other organizations, they have shifted toward a more feminized membership.

Vox, the big beneficiary

While the youth wing of the parties is working hard to reach out to young people, Vox is rubbing its hands in anticipation of shifts in ideological trends: according to the latest CEO survey, the group where the party garners the most support in Catalonia is that of young people between 18 and 24 years old. Sources at Vox claim they are receiving an avalanche of "disgruntled" young people aged 14 and over. These are young people who are critical of feminism and, they say, feel that other sectors are "criminalizing" them when they complain about insecurity or immigration. Girls, they maintain, are also approaching out of concern for security. The party has seen a gold mine and, among other activities, offers self-defense courses for young people. Vox doesn't have a youth wing, but it moves perfectly within the ecosystem. from related civil society organizations, such as Revuelta, Se ha Acabado, or Estudiantes por el Cambio. Both party leaders and advisors come from that background.

How do the parties counter all this? Nuevas Generaciones, which is vying with Vox for ideological space, doesn't use social media with the same "force" as the far right. However, they give each local branch autonomy to use them as they see fit, and in some cases, they've resorted to formats like podcasts. The JNC is distancing itself from the social media powder keg and is betting on traditional avenues: tents at universities, local events, and training for young people. They may soon have to compete with the Catalan Alliance., who plans to found his own youth organizations, according to the party's report to ARA.

Jovent Republicà admits that it is necessary to copy some digital strategies that work, such as content with clear and direct language, and to ally with like-minded opinion leaders; at the same time, the JSCs encourage their young people to be "influencers within their own environments" and, to channel young people's requests, they have opened an office where anyone can send proposals to be studied at the institutional level. The Young Ecosocialists have strengthened their presence on TikTok and are betting on "disruptive" campaigns, such as the one they called "T-Fuck" about Catalan transport.

But one of the biggest complaints from youth organizations in this battle is the lack of equal footing: while the far right has an apparatus behind it, starting with tech moguls like Elon Musk, youth must work to gain the attention of young people with an algorithm that works against them. All of this is done with funding that comes from three main sources: subsidies, membership fees, and party contributions. mother. This money is supplemented by funds obtained from activities such as community meals or merchandising (in Arran's case, this is the only source of funding). Regarding subsidies from the Generalitat (Catalan government), Jovent Republicà is the organization that received the most money between 2021 and 2024, 204,497 euros. Behind them are the JNC (€182,737.50), the JSC (€177,770.89), and Young Ecosocialists (€90,199.52). The New Generations of the PP (PP) did not apply, while Vox and Aliança, lacking youth groups specifically linked to the organization, are also unable to apply.