Spain scraps national bullfighting prize to combat ‘animal abuse’

This prize of 30,000 euros has been awarded every year since 2013. The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, denounced “a form of animal abuse” to justify his decision.

The government of Pedro Sanchez (left) announced the abolition of the national bullfighting prize on Friday May 3. “It did not seem relevant to us to maintain a prize which rewards a form of animal abuse” while“a majority of Spaniards (…) are increasingly worried” of animal welfare, declared the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, on the television channel La Sexta.

Keeping this price would be “all the less understood as these forms of animal torture are rewarded with medals which, moreover, are accompanied by an endowment” financed by “public money”, continued the minister, who is a member of Sumar, a coalition of several radical left parties. This prize of 30,000 euros, awarded each year, was awarded for the first time in 2013, after being created in 2011 under another left-wing government.

Renowned bullfighters have received it, like Julian Lopez, known as “El Juli”, and Enrique Ponce. If bullfights continue to attract enthusiasts in Spain, where the main bullfighters are celebrities, opinion surveys show a decline in interest throughout the country, particularly among young people. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Culture, only 1.9% of Spaniards attended a bullfight during the 2021-2022 season.

The opposition denounces the government’s “sectarianism”

The removal of the prize was applauded by animal rights activists but it angered bullfighting aficionados and the opposition. The People’s Party (right), the main opposition party, notably promised to restore this price if it returned to power. “Bullfighting is an activity that is part of our culture in Spain, part of our traditions (…), part of our identity as a people”and the removal of this price is proof of “sectarianism of those who govern us”criticized, in front of the press, the president of the group in the Chamber of Deputies, Miguel Tellado.

Several regional governments have announced they will create their own prize, including the socialist-led government of Castile-La Mancha. The Fundacion del toro de Lidia, the main organization in the sector, said in a statement that the government “had the obligation to promote and encourage all cultural events, including bullfighting”. “This measure marks a step in the fight against bullfighting, a controversial practice”welcomed the animal rights association Animanaturalis.