Given the response of several CCAA to create autonomous awards, he defends that, “within the framework of their powers”, each one does “what they consider”
MADRID, 3 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Culture and spokesman for Sumar, Ernest Urtasun, has assured that the decision to suppress the National Bullfighting Award is a decision that “connects” with a “majority” feeling and has assured that traditions must “evolve” so There should not be an award that is related to “animal torture” and is associated with “an investment with public money.” “A majority of Spaniards support the decision I have made today,” he argued.
“What we have done is eliminate an award related to animal torture and which, I insist, was associated with an investment with public money. Issues that are related to animal torture will not be awarded by the national awards. This decision that I I have taken is consistent with the animal welfare law and with an increasingly majority sentiment among Spaniards,” Urtasun explained in statements to La Sexta collected by Europa Press.
Furthermore, the minister has stated that this is “a unique decision” by the Ministry of Culture, which is why “no one” from the socialist part of the Government has contacted him. “This is a competition of mine, of the Ministry of Culture, because the national awards are established through a ministerial order and therefore it is a sole decision of the new team of the Ministry of Culture, who are competent to establish the awards nationals,” he reiterated.
As the minister detailed, the national awards “respond in some way to a general feeling of what Spain is” and he recalled that “the Spanish reality is evolving and these national awards have been evolving to adapt to that new reality.”
“What I asked the ministry and my teams was to review the awards we granted and, indeed, we came to the conclusion that taking into account that there is an increasingly growing majority of Spaniards, increasingly concerned and concerned about animal welfare, we did not believe that it was appropriate to continue maintaining an award that rewards a form of animal abuse. This decision, I insist, is part of a process of creating national awards that respond to what the Spanish reality is,” he reiterated.
“It is not only a personal conviction of mine, it is also a conviction of Spain,” added Urtasun, for whom there is a “majority feeling among a part of Spaniards who understand less and less that animal torture is practiced in our country and who understand even less so that these forms of animal torture are awarded with medals.
On the other hand, given the announcement by several autonomous communities to promote their own Bullfighting Awards – as they have already announced from Castilla-La Mancha or the Community of Madrid, among others -, Urtasun has assured that “within the framework of its powers “, each community does “what it considers”, although it has made it ugly that, in 2024, “someone” considers that “animal torture” should be rewarded.
“Each administration, within the framework of its powers, is free to consider and set the priorities it wants. If someone considers that today, in 2024, forms of animal torture should be rewarded with public money, then it is free to do so,” he said.
Furthermore, the minister recalled that, in 2022, according to Ministry statistics, less than 2 percent of Spaniards attended some type of bullfighting show and added that Culture would do “a disservice” to Spanish culture if did not adapt to “those new realities.”
For this reason, Urtasun has announced that the objective is to “definitively” eliminate the ministerial order that protects these National Awards and has explained that the modification process will begin with a public consultation, “a procedure that must be done.”
“We must follow some more administrative steps until the publication of a new ministerial order in which this award will no longer appear. We have made the decision at this time, because we had to begin the entire process of constituting the juries of what will be the awards and, therefore, we have announced it today (the elimination of the National Bullfighting Award) to say that at the beginning of this process of the different awards, we will not call the Bullfighting Award and we will proceed to modify the ministerial order to eliminate it definitely,” he added.
Faced with criticism from the Popular Party, the current Minister of Culture has disgraced the PP for “always” opposing “freedoms and rights” such as animal welfare but, when he comes to power, he “never dares” to reverse these decisions.
“In the end, these decisions in favor of more rights, more freedom, and in this case more animal welfare, are supported by a majority of Spaniards who support them and agree,” he concluded.
