Emotions have flared in Madrid over the future of bullfighting: the Spanish parliament refused to consider a proposal to revoke its special legal status. Although more than 700,000 citizens signed the initiative, it did not pass even the first stage of debate in the Congress of Deputies.
The voting results were quite telling. The initiative was supported by representatives of leftist and regional parties such as Sumar, Podemos, Junts, ERC, EH Bildu, PNV, BNG, and Compromís. However, conservatives from PP, as well as Vox and UPN, voted against it. The position of the Socialists proved decisive: 118 deputies from PSOE, along with one independent parliamentarian, chose to abstain. As a result, the proposal did not secure the required number of votes and was rejected.
There were disagreements within the government. Coalition members from Sumar, including the deputy prime minister and the minister of culture, openly expressed their dissatisfaction with the actions of their Socialist colleagues. In their view, the country missed an opportunity to reconsider its attitude toward a tradition many no longer see as part of cultural heritage. They pointed out that the initiative is backed by hundreds of thousands of Spaniards who oppose cruelty to animals.
Debates over the role of bullfighting in modern Spain have flared up once again. Some consider it an integral part of national identity, while others demand an end to a practice they call a relic of the past. After the initiative’s failure, supporters of change are openly disappointed, while opponents of reform, on the contrary, speak of a victory for tradition. Nevertheless, the issue seems unlikely to lose relevance any time soon.
