Portuguese citizens’ initiative against subsidies for bullfighting

The Portuguese animal protection organization ANIMAL has started a citizens’ initiative against national subsidies for bullfighting.

Every year, several Portuguese local authorities provide direct and indirect subsidies to bullfighting events. Local subsidies are provided to bullfighting every year. ANIMAL has included all subsidies per municipality in a report, which is regularly updated with the most current information.

The most important argument for the citizens’ initiative is of course the extensive animal suffering that is stimulated and facilitated through these subsidies. Another argument that ANIMAL mentions in the text of the citizens’ initiative is that the money can be used in a better way, including to combat unemployment, poverty and homelessness.

In addition to the national and local subsidies spent on bullfighting, bull breeders receive European agricultural subsidies and European cultural subsidies go to the maintenance and renovation of bullrings.

A survey that Ipsos I&O Public conducted on behalf of the NGO CAS International in early 2024 shows that 67% of respondents do not agree with providing subsidies to the bullfighting sector. In Portugal this is even 71%. 83% of Portuguese believe that bullfighting causes too much suffering to the bulls.

The citizens’ initiative calls on all taxpayers to speak out against the use of taxpayers’ money to facilitate bullfights.