Main focus of Thursday, July 29, 2010

Catalans ban bullfighting

The Catalan parliament in Barcelona on Wednesday passed a ban on bullfighting that will go into effect in the autonomous Spanish region starting 2012. The press writes that rather than being a victory for animal rights over an outdated tradition, the resolution is an expression of Catalan desires for self-determination and clear demarcation from the central power in Madrid.

The Times - United Kingdom

The ban on bullfights in Catalonia will hardly ruffle the feathers of modern Spaniards, writes the daily The Times: "Ritual, mythology and machismo all make up the clichéd image, the symbolic essence of Spain that has made a few matadors millionaires, excited the bloodlust of Ernest Hemingway and lavished funds, art and praise on the 'sport'. But modern Spain is outgrowing bullfights, just as the Romans eventually tired of gladiators. It is still popular in Portugal, southern France and much of Latin America. Some Spaniards will mourn this blow to their culture. Most will be indifferent." (29/07/2010)

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Spain

L'Est Républicain - France

The ban on bullfighting in Catalonia testifies to a change in mentality and the difficult departure from antiquated values, writes the regional newspaper L'Est Républicain: "This snook cocked at the bullfight nevertheless has symbolic value. It shows that like other cultural elements the corrida, which is defended as part and parcel of the Spanish identity, is subject to the vagaries of passing time and changing mentalities. Hemingway must be turning in his grave. And the fans of this choreography of death are mourning an epoch that is losing its sense of tragedy." (29/07/2010)

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Spain
All available articles from » Chantal Didier

nrc.next - Netherlands

The bullfighting ban in Catalonia is no triumph for animal rights as the main issue here is regional nationalism, writes the daily nrc.next: "The barbaric bullfights, so the argument goes, were imposed on us by Spain and in particular Madrid at some point. They're a 'custom alien to our people', one could say, but it doesn't sound as good. … At any rate it's a useful warning for the rest of Europe: As soon as 'national identity' turns up as a political argument mistrust is called for. We who live in a democratic society based on the rights of individuals can get along very well without it. But one encounters this argument more and more often, whether it's about Kosovo's independence or the discussions about identity and immigration. Regional nationalism, with the special tradition it has in places like Catalonia and the Basque country, reminds us why nationalism doesn't work as a political ideology." (29/07/2010)

» more information (external link, Dutch)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Spain
All available articles from » Steven Adolf

Blog Del alfiler al elefante - Spain

The Catalan parliament's bullfighting ban is proof of the high level of democratic maturity the Spain of regions has attained, writes Lluís Bassets in his blog Del Alfiler al Elefante: "If this entire process has made something perfectly clear it's how well democracy functions in this Spain of autonomous regions, where the autonomous communities have sufficient competences and power of self-government to take a decision deemed to be of such great import by an important part of Spanish public opinion that some identify it with the rupture of Spain or an attack on its very essence. No one is stopping the advocates of bullfighting from launching a new initiative aimed at making the spectacle legal once more and trying to attain a new majority in their favour in the new parliament that next autumn's elections will produce." (29/07/2010)

» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Social movements, » Federalism, » Spain
All available articles from » Lluís Bassets

» To the complete press review of Thursday, July 29, 2010