The promoters of the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) that seeks the repeal of the norm that regulates bullfighting as cultural heritage have until next February to gather the half million signatures they need for the text to be debated in the Plenary of Congress.
The Board of the Chamber has given them three more months to continue gathering support in a campaign that, under the name of ‘It is not my culture’, they started last January when they registered their ILP in the Lower House.
Then, the governing body of the Chamber sent the text to the Central Electoral Board (JEC) which, according to the law, will be in charge of checking the validity of the signatures collected in favour of the initiative.
Initially, the promoters were given a nine-month period to gather support, but before the end of the period they have already decided to make use of the power conferred on them by law to request an extension. According to parliamentary sources they have been granted another three months.
Specifically, the final deadline, since it cannot be extended any further, ends on February 19, 2025. If by that date they have managed to get half a million people to sign the ILP, the text can be submitted for debate in the Plenary Session of Congress, which must decide whether or not to admit it for processing.
This first debate must take place within a maximum period of six months, although before then the person designated by the promoting committee will be called to appear before the Culture Committee of Congress to explain the reasons that justify the presentation of the initiative.
The promoters of ‘It’s not my culture’ want to repeal the cultural heritage law of bullfighting, which dates back to 2013, because, as they claim, it deprives town councils and autonomous communities of the power to regulate the manifestations of their own cultural heritage and “protects bullfighting above any other cultural or artistic manifestation.”
According to them, the law they want to repeal recognises that “bullfighting and popular bullfighting shows are subject to constant evolution, without it being possible to make conjectures about how they will adapt to changing sensibilities.” “Well –they emphasise–, this evolution has been reflected in a notable decrease in the number of bullfighting shows.”
In addition, they refute one of the bases of this law, that “bullfighting forms part of the common historical and cultural heritage of all Spaniards” and for this reason it is “worthy of protection throughout the national territory.”
In this regard, they argue that “bullfighting is an exception within the framework of animal protection legislation at state and regional level, so it is not appropriate to continue maintaining this cultural event as a common cultural heritage.”
Other Articles
