The election was held against the backdrop of the early 1990s recession and a string of corruption scandals affecting the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) of Prime Minister Felipe González.

The most recent involved former Civil Guard director Luis Roldán, who had fled the country in early 1994 when it was discovered that he had used his office to amass a fortune through fraudulent means, resulting in the resignation of interior minister Antoni Asunción in the month leading to the election.

[1] 64 members of the European Parliament were allocated to Spain as per the 1993 Council Decision amending the Direct Elections Act.

Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals and resident non-national European citizens over 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights.

In order to be entitled to run, parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least 15,000 registered electors; this requirement could be lifted and replaced through the signature of at least 50 elected officials—deputies, senators, MEPs or members from the legislative assemblies of autonomous communities or from local city councils.