The current dataset on Spain is part of the ELEMENTAL project, headed by Anna Kristina Hultgren (PI), investigating the reasons for the use and rise of English for academic programmes at European higher education institutions within the context of their governance. Details of the project and resulting outputs can be viewed at the UKRI project webpage: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR/T021500/1.The Spain dataset comprises transcripts of semi-structured interviews between a researcher and two types of participants: participants (P) of a case study university; and participants who hold or have held ministerial or public body roles (M). In total, the collection contains 14 transcripts involving 15 participants, all of whom gave consent for the OU deposit of their deidentified transcripts.The interviews were conducted online between 2022-2023. They lasted between 40-60 mins, averaging at around 50 mins. A key to transcription conventions is provided at the beginning of each participant transcript.