Imported from Spain in the 19th century, bullfighting is popular in large parts of southern France.
Now, for the first time, a proposal to ban “corrida” has reached the floor of the National Assembly, signaling a shift in public sentiment in favor of animal rights.
Under the auspices of the far-left Nupes coalition, it faces an uphill battle.
The government officially opposes the ban and pro-Corrida MPs have promised to discuss the move outside parliamentary time.
Although many in President Emmanuel Macron’s party personally favor it, the Elysée Palace is wary of the ban, which it believes will increase tensions between the city and the country and between Paris and the regions.
The text of the bill was drafted by Émerick Caron, a former TV presenter who founded an animal rights party and won the Paris seat under the banner of Népés in this year’s parliamentary elections.
In its preamble, the text cites a veterinary committee report that “by causing avoidable suffering and killing animals…for the sole purpose of entertainment, bullfighting in no way harms animals.” incompatible with well-being”.
Proponents of the ban point to opinion polls showing that more than 80 percent of French people want an end to bullfights that lead to the death of animals. Even in cities with bullfighting, the figure is 61%.
Corridas are protected by a 1951 law, which granted regional exemptions to generally outlaw cruelty to animals. Thus in regions where there was a proven tradition of bullfighting – mainly a stretch from Nimes to Bayonne – it was allowed to continue.
But one of the arguments in favor of the ban is that Spanish-style bullfighting is not a very old tradition in France, having only been introduced in 1853 to please Eugénie, the Spanish wife of Emperor Napoleon III.
Mr. Caron says his bill is not aimed at bull runs and other recreational courses related to but different practices that have long existed in parts of the South.
French bullfighting defenders demonstrated last weekend in 45 or so recognized Valais Tournes (bull towns) such as Arles, Mont-de-Marsan and Deux.
Their main argument is that the corrida is an art form rooted in local society, and banning it would undermine tradition and threaten jobs. For them, Aymeric Caron is the epitome of the metropolitan morality they despise.
Corrida supporters also point to the “hypocrisy” of a society that bans factory farming and the mass production of meat, but can’t stomach the idea of ​​mass death for fighting free-range bulls.
