António Júlio de Castro Fernandes

António Júlio de Castro Fernandes GCC (Lisbon, June 2, 1903 – Lisbon, 1975) was a Portuguese economist, banker, politician and ideologue of corporatism.

He was linked to sectors of the Portuguese extreme right during the transition to the Estado Novo and was one of the most active propagandists of fascist corporatism. He was a leader of the Nun'Álvares National Crusade in the final years of the First Portuguese Republic and one of the founders of the National Unionist Movement (1932). He joined the National Revolution and, among many other important positions, was Undersecretary of State for Corporations and Social Welfare (1944 to 1948) and Minister for the Economy (1948 to 1950) in Oliveira Salazar's government, president of the National Union's executive committee (1958 to 1961 and 1965 to 1968), a member of the National Assembly and a prosecutor in the Corporate Chamber. He dedicated himself to banking, having been a director of Banco Nacional Ultramarino.

Biography With a degree in economics from the Higher Institute of Economic and Financial Sciences of the Technical University of Lisbon,

A member and leader of the National Union, his internship resulted in the book O Corporativismo Fascista [Fascist Corporatism], published in 1938, beginning a journey through the corporatist system that would shape his career. He was an attorney for the Corporative Chamber (I, VII, VIII, X and XI legislatures),

On August 26, 1950, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

He was president of the General Assembly of the Os Belenenses Football Club between 1962 and 1964.

Published works He left a vast body of work scattered throughout periodicals, various speeches, and monographs, including:

Patronato e Sindicatos Nacionais (Employers and National Unions), 1934 Algumas Palavras (Some words), 1937 O Corporativismo Fascista (Fascist Corporatism), 1938 Temas Corporativos (Corporate Themes), 1944 A Organização das Horas Livres (Organizing Free Time), 1944 Princípios Fundamentais da Organização Corporativa Portuguesa Fundamental (Principles of Portuguese Corporate Organization), 1944 A Revolução Social Portuguesa (The Portuguese Social Revolution), 1945 Casas do Povo (People's Houses), 1945 Enfrentando o Destino das Casas do Povo (Facing the Fate of the People's Houses), 1947 A Segurança dos Trabalhadores Através do Seguro Social (Workers' Security through Social Security), 1947 A Presença de Portugal em África (Portugal's presence in Africa), 1960 Três Ciprestes (Three Cypresses), 1971 Arquivo (Archive), 1972 Le Mouvement «Travail et Joie» au Portugal (The "Work and Joy" Movement in Portugal)