It was only a matter of time since Ernest Urtasun became head of the Ministry of Culture and finally the decision came yesterday: the National Bullfighting Award and its 30,000 euro endowment are abolished. The elimination of the award, which began to be given now a decade ago, in 2013, obeys, Urtasun explained yesterday, resoundingly, the fact that “a majority of citizens today do not understand that animal torture is practiced and they still understand unless these forms of animal torture are rewarded with prizes for which public money is dedicated”. The reaction was not long in coming and came in the form of attacks on Urtasun, who was accused of censorship, sectarianism and ignorance and whose resignation was demanded by the bullfighting sector, but also a flurry of announcements from new awards that seek to replace that of the ministry.
In fact, the first to oppose Urtasun’s decision was the Castilla-Mancheque president, the socialist Emiliano García-Page, who assured that “they will contact the bullfighting sector” to promote awards that aspire to “be coordinated or shared with other autonomies, since we want them to have a national and international scope”. From the Junta d’Extremadura they also expressed their willingness to take over the call for and award of the National Bullfighting prize eliminated by the central government. Thus, the Regional Executive has expressed its “firm support for the national holiday, insulted by the Ministry of Culture”. From the Valencian Government, the first vice-president and Minister of Culture and Sport, the former Vicente Barrera, from Vox, announced the adhesion of his department to the proposal of the Extremadura Board.
And the Fundació del Toro de Lídia also announced that it will grant a National Bullfighting award while Urtasun’s “censorship” lasts. The Councilor for the Environment, Interior and Agriculture of the Community of Madrid, Carlos Novillo, indicated that his Government is offering its headquarters, the Real Casa de Correus, so that the Bullfighting Award can be held there with the help of this foundation
For his part, the president of Aragon, the popular Jorge Azcón, emphasized that the Government he presides over will promote the creation of the Nicanor Villalta prize for the best work of the bullfighting season in Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel.
In fact, the spokesperson of the Popular Party, Borja Sémper, assured that they will recover the award when they return to power and his formation presented a motion in the Senate, where it has an absolute majority, to restore the award. On the contrary, the Animalist Party with the Environment (Pacma) considered it good news that the ministry removed an award that “was interpreted as a praise and an impetus to legalized animal abuse”.
Urtasun remarked that the elimination “goes parallel to a significant drop in attendance at bullfighting shows in Spain. In the statistics we have for the year 2022, less than 2% of Spaniards attended a bullfighting show. The Spanish reality has evolved”. Regarding the controversy and the announcement of alternative awards, he stated that “he will avoid all controversy because each administration within the framework of its powers is free to consider its priorities. If someone considers that in 2024 forms of animal torture should be rewarded and also with public money, they are free to believe it”.
Regarding the PP’s announcement that it will take back the awards, he pointed out that “every time there is a great advance in rights and freedoms, such as in the case of animal welfare, the PP opposes it, but then not he never dares to reverse the decisions when he reaches the Government because they are endorsed by a majority of Spaniards”.
