On Wednesday, Spain’s elite anti-corruption unit conducted a raid at the Socialist Party’s headquarters in Madrid, coinciding with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Rome.
This raid adds to the mounting legal troubles facing Sanchez’s administration. Reports indicate that Ana Fuentes, the party’s treasurer since 2021, has been indicted by the national court for her involvement in a scheme aimed at undermining the government’s critics. Just last week, the same court indicted former Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero regarding the 2021 Plus Ultra aviation bailout.
The Civil Guard’s Central Operations Unit arrived at the Ferraz Street office shortly before 9 a.m. It’s notable that this is the second time in less than a year that agents have accessed this building; previous visits were connected to the Cordo incident and involved former party organizing chief Santos Cerdan.
Investigators were in search of documents relating to confidential elements of an inquiry concerning Leyre Diez, a former party operative accused of exerting influence. Officers are also set to examine the residence of Gaspar Zarias, who is said to have been influential in hiring Diez.
Following his meeting with the Pope, Sanchez expressed his respect for the judicial process and stated that the Socialist Party is committed to addressing any new wrongdoing with seriousness. This was shared during a news conference in Rome.
Alberto Nuñez Feijó, leader of the opposition People’s Party, remarked on the gravity of the situation while heading to parliament. Legal issues are also impacting Sanchez’s family, with his wife, Begoña Gómez, under investigation for alleged professional misconduct, and his brother, David Sánchez, awaiting trial for influence peddling. Despite these challenges, Sanchez affirmed his determination to run for re-election in the upcoming general elections, slated for no later than August 22, 2027.
