The misleading politicisation of Spanish bullfighting

Bullfighting is once again in the spotlight in Spain. This time, it’s the focus of a clash between the country’s Socialist-led government and the Fundación del Toro de Lidia (FTL), a non-profit organisation that defends and promotes the practice. 

The row kicked off last year because bullfighting – known as the ‘corrida de toros’, or ‘running of bulls’ – was not included in a youth culture voucher (bono cultural joven) introduced by Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez. Angered by this decision, the FTL went to the Supreme Court: last Tuesday the judges ruled in its favour, citing 2013 legislation which made the bullfight part of Spanish ‘cultural heritage’.

Isabel Ayuso, the fiery Conservative president of Madrid, welcomed the court’s decision and accused the government of ‘ideological bias’ in omitting the corrida from the voucher scheme. But Sergio Torres, director general of animal rights at the Ministry of Social Rights, took the classic left wing position and tweeted that the 2013 legislation should be repealed ‘so that bullfighting is never again classed as cultural heritage’.