In the years of the transition to democracy, Europe and the EEC, as synonyms for democracy, were a common image in the Spanish media. The long process of Spain’s accession, however, also led to the appearance of some less friendly images, especially concerning some of the member countries whose interests were in conflict with those of the Spanish. In this article, based on an analysis of the press at the time, as well as documentation from the archives of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Historical Archive of the European Union, we consider four key moments in the process of Spain’s accession to the European Community between 1979 and 1986. The four events coincide with two important and difficult moments in recent European history: on the one hand, the international economic crisis from 1973 onwards; on the other, the political indecision between those countries in favour of a federal Europe and those in favour of a common market.
