In this interview excerpt, Enrique Barón Crespo, Spanish Member of Parliament (1977–1982) and Minister for Transport, Communications and Tourism (1982–1985), analyses the context of Spain’s accession to the European Communities: the vision and support of the various Spanish political parties, the role of Spanish exiles, the issues surrounding accession to NATO, the attitude of the other EC Member States, the position of Spanish trade unions and the efforts to ‘educate’ the Spanish people to a better understanding of the European integration process.