Coverage of the Commission President candidates in the Spanish media shows the Spitzenkandidaten process had a wide reach across Europe

The proposal of candidates for President of the European Commission prior to the 2014 European Parliament elections was criticised by the British government on the grounds that it did not fully engage European citizens. Miguel Otero-Iglesias and Kristina Lani assess the coverage of the process in the Spanish media, illustrating that the candidates received just as much attention in Spain as they did in Germany. They also note that Spanish public opinion on the use of Commission candidates grew more positive during the campaign, suggesting that media coverage may have played a role in enhancing support for the process.