Police raid on Spain’s Socialists piles pressure on Pedro Sánchez

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Spanish police have raided the headquarters of Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist party as part of an investigation into alleged judicial interference. Sánchez, who has been prime minister for nearly eight years, will be under fresh pressure to call early elections. The Civil Guard, Spain’s law enforcement agency, told the AP the search was linked to possible wrongdoing by Socialist party member Leire Díez and others. Last year, audio recordings of Díez emerged in which she appeared to try to undermine a member of the Civil Guard’s anti-corruption unit. A National Court probe is looking at whether she was paid to allegedly influence state prosecutors. Díez has denied wrongdoing and is no longer a member of the party. But Sánchez will nonetheless be feeling the heat. This month the Socialists suffered a historic election loss in Andalusia.