bullfighting

75% of Catalans are in favor of banning 'correbous', while 80% believe it constitutes animal cruelty

Chamber passes resolution urging executive to implement ban after escaped bull injured 19 in recent festival

AnimaNaturalis and other organizations push parliament to ban bull-related events

Traditional activities involving bulls back in the spotlight after animal escapes and wounds 19 people in northern town of Vidreres

Committee on the Rights of the Child says under-18s should not attend or participate in bullfighting events

Bullfighting was effectively banned in Catalonia in 2012, after a Parliament Act was approved in 2010. On 20th of October last, however, the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) annulled the prohibition. Eight of the eleven magistrates at the TC considered that the Catalan Parliament “exceeded its competences” and “restricted the citizens’ rights and freedoms” when banning bullfighting. This week, the identities of the three dissenting magistrates have been unveiled. The judges Adela Asúa, Fernando Valdés Dal-Ré and Juan Antonio Xiol recalled that the Spanish Constitution does not give the Government the power to “displace” exclusive regional competencies, such as the regulation of public performances and animal protection, and therefore defend that the Spanish executive cannot impose the return of bullfighting on Catalonia. 

The Catalan Minister for Territory and Sustainability, Josep Rull, assured that the Government will do everything in its power to keep the ban on bullfighting in Catalonia, which has been reversed this Thursday by the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC). Rull insisted that the executive’s will is to have “a country in which those shows which imply death and animal torture will not be allowed”. The civic platform 'Prou!' (“Enough!” in Catalan), which presented the Popular Legislative Initiative to the Parliament that led to the prohibition of bullfighting in Catalonia, also reacted to the TC’s decision. The platform considered it “a shameful return to the past” and described it as a “political decision”. The TC considered the Parliament to have “exceeded its competences” and “restricted the citizens’ rights and freedoms” when banning bullfighting in 2010 and defines bullfighting as an “intangible cultural heritage”.

The ban on bullfighting in Catalonia, approved by the Parliament in 2010 and effective since 2012, has been suspended this Thursday by the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC). Eight of the eleven magistrates in the court considered that the prohibition to host bullfighting in Catalonia “restricted the citizens’erights and freedoms”. Moreover, the TC emphasised that it is for the Spanish state to regulate this “intangible cultural heritage”nand “guarantee its preservation”. Catalan Minister for Territory and Sustainability, Josep Rull, insisted on the executive’s commitment to preventing “shows which imply animal suffering”hfrom taking place in Catalonia and assured that bullfighting won’t return to Catalonia. Bullfighting has been, for centuries, presented by Spanish nationalism as ‘the national fiesta’, the utmost celebration of Spanish pride. In other Autonomous Communities, such as the Canary Islands, bullfighting has been banned for decades.

The ruling by the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) to possibly reverse the bullfighting ban in Catalonia has surprised many of the representatives in the European Parliament. Interviewed by the CNA, MEPs from the main political parties in the EuroChamber expressed their views on bullfighting and commented on Catalonia’s wish to keep the prohibition. Bullfighting is “unnecessary cruelty” rather than “culture”, stated European People’s Party (EPP) MEP, Sirpa Pietikainen and expressed his strong opposition to it being supported by EU funds. In a similar sense, Iva Vajgl, from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe considered it “anachronist” for Spain to promote bullfighting and described it as “a very cheap and populist art of entertainment”. European United Left MEP, Stefan Eck, noted that “there is a political interest behind” the TC’s intention to reverse the ban in Catalonia and encouraged Catalans to “stand up and demonstrate for their rights”.

After the Catalan Parliament’s ban on bullfighting approved in 2010, controversy between those in favour and those against bull festivities has been continuing for years now. The latest issue under discussion is the continuation of a specific bull event called the ‘correbous’ that takes place in the Ebro Delta area, in southern Catalonia. ‘Correbous’ are deeply rooted in the area’s tradition, organised to coincide with the towns’ patron saint parties, held during summertime. They are different from regular bullfighting and they have more similarities with Pamplona’s San Fermín festival, where people run in front of the bulls.

Barcelona hosted its last bullfight on Sunday. As of January 1st 2012, bullfighting will be banned in Catalonia. The Catalan Parliament decided to forbid this activity in July 2010, with a law that generated a substantial amount of controversy. Bullfighting is associated with Spanish nationalism, and the ban has been interpreted by many as a political stance, in addition to defending animal rights. In Catalonia, over the last decades, bullfighting has lost most of its popular support and only one arena has remained open.

Barcelona hosts what is likely to be its very last bullfighting season after the Catalan Parliament banned it last summer, but the support of the Spanish conservative party could force a moratorium until 2015

The Spanish Conservative People’s Party (PP) finally presented an appeal to the Constitutional Court on the Catalan Parliament’s law banning bullfighting in Catalonia, which was approved 3 months ago. The PP is arguing that the law exceeds Catalan competences and enters into the Spanish State’s competences. The PP also says that the law restricts citizen rights and freedoms.