It is a decisive day for the future of bullfighting in France. Officially prohibited, but tolerated by law in certain cities in the name of tradition, the deputy Aymeric Caron wishes to ban this practice throughout the territory. To achieve this, the elected member of the La France insoumise group, which is proposing a law to this effect, is banking on what is called a parliamentary niche. This is a day when an opposition group can set the agenda. The debates imperatively stop at midnight.
Asked this Thursday on RMC and BFMTV, the former journalist explains that the choice of this subject was preferred to others mainly because of this principle of parliamentary niche. This is a subject that can “be decided quickly”, unlike, according to him, the ban on factory farms. Bullfighting “is not the absolute priority of the group. We have a bill on the constitutionalization of abortion, the minimum wage at 1,600 euros, the reintegration of caregivers… But ecology is also an important marker of rebellious France”, he developed.
“Making an animal suffer is not desirable in a civilized society”
“Abolish bullfighting is a question of humanity”, also launched the chosen one. “This questions our relationship to the animal. I think we all agree that making an animal suffer is not desirable in a civilized society”.
“Bullfighting is banned in France today. An exception had to be included in 1951 to allow some cities to organize them. But even the tradition is called into question because it is a Spanish tradition imported” in the 19th century, recalled Aymeric Caron.
Asked about the traditions that come from other countries and when a comparison with couscous is thus suggested to him – “couscous is not a French tradition and it is becoming one” explains Apolline de Malherbe, his interviewer – the deputy replies: “We are enriched by the cultures of others. It is not I who will criticize the traditions of other countries. Couscous doesn’t kill anyone. But when the legislator relies on tradition, (in this file) it doesn’t hold. »
Uncertainty is however strong on the possibilities of adoption of the bill. The agenda and the votes constitute a double obstacle to overcome. “Very honestly, it can pass when you look at the balance of voices. It’s absolute uncertainty,” said Aymeric Caron. He also considers that the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, “obviously” went out of his role by declaring that “there will be no ban”. “It is up to parliament to decide on what I call barbarism. It is not up to the president to decree, ”denounced the deputy.
“We just have one problem, which is that those who are opposed to this law are playing the game of anti-parliamentarianism. We have 600 amendments (Editor’s note: 566 in all), some of which are whimsical. The MP notably took the example of one of these amendments which proposes to ban bullfighting “when the temperature is below 0°C”. And to recall that “at midnight the debate stops”. The risk that the discussions will drag on due to the number of amendments and that its text will not even be put to the vote is thus a serious hypothesis.