We do it exactly the same way even though our Spanish is not very good, but we watch the news directly on TV. And we understand around half of it. And the perspective or opinion is not only formed from the news: first of all, we have a very different view, as we have already mentioned, and it also has to do with our circle of friends – we often see them, we talk, we discuss things, politics is a recurring topic. (Participant no.6, woman, 60 years old).

This primary function of the foreign media on the Costa del Sol as service journalism coincides with that of the study on foreign media for Germans in the Canary Islands conducted by Dorn Padilla (2012).

The focus group also highlighted how these populations are affected by the shortcomings of the information on the Eu-ropean Union published in the media in their countries of origin and in Spain. They point out that it is not geared to the more practical problems of European citizens, emphasising the fact that in the contents they do not find solutions to their everyday problems. This is a deficit that they remark on in an area that is fundamental in the feeling of integration, such as municipal elections, in which every German citizen can participate. Perhaps for this reason, in the data obtained in the survey, of the 85% of Germans registered in their municipality, only 34% have ever voted in the Spanish local elections.

Another of the shortcomings or criticisms they make of the way information about Europe is dealt with in the press in general is that the topics or the media agenda are too focused on certain current affairs, such as Brexit or immigration.

Look at what is happening in Germany, they keep talking about inmigrants, and the idiots are not capable of talking about the real problems, like for example, the shortage of flats, there is not enough housing in Germany, it’s crazy. People can’t drive their cars because of the corrupt politics, the automotive industry, nobody talks about that; when there are problems they talk about emigrants and not about the real issues. That services are being neglected... we have real problems in society and they are talking about things that are not problems. (Participant no.3, man, 57 years old).

Right, the (crisis) in nurseries, schools. (Participant no.7, woman, 75 years old).

4.3. The process of integration of German migrants in the current European context

From the outset, both the group of retired German residents and the professionally active have had a clear pro-European and Community stance and have been faithfully committed to the European project. For 90% of the respondents it is very important to be a citizen of the European Union. This is confirmed even more strongly by the focus group. The force in their comments leaves no doubt about the paramount importance of belonging to the European Union for this popula-tion. The European project makes it decidedly easier for them to settle on the Costa del Sol, from both a bureaucratic and a day-to-day point of view, it motivates them to integrate and favours cohesion:

I think we have had a very positive experience within the European Union. We used to live in a border town, in Aachen, and it is right on the border, with Belgium and the Netherlands as our neighbours. And we remember the times when there were still borders and, compared with what it’s like now, for us it is a very positive thing. For me at least, the fact that we now live in Spain, we wouldn’t have been able to sort that out if the EU didn’t exist, in the way it is structured. (Participant no.2, woman, 57 years old).