The Czech coalition government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, successfully weathered a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday evening, overcoming a significant scandal involving a controversial Bitcoin donation to the Ministry of Justice. The vote, initiated by the opposition ANO party, garnered only 94 votes, falling seven short of the 101 needed to topple the government. The motion was supported by ANO, the SPD, and the Pirate Party.
Billion-crown ($47 million) donation
The no-confidence motion stemmed from a billion-crown ($47 million) donation in bitcoins of questionable origin to the Ministry of Justice earlier this year. Local media reported that the donation came from Tomáš Jiřikovský, a man previously convicted of drug trafficking, embezzlement, and illegal possession of weapons. The controversy ultimately led to the resignation of Justice Minister Pavel Blažek.
Prime Minister Fiala acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “I believed Mr. Blažek acted with goodwill, but the acceptance of this controversial bitcoin donation was an unnecessary problem that could have been avoided.” He added that his Civic Democratic Party would “take responsibility for ethical misconduct.”
Blažek, who resigned on May 30, maintained his innocence, stating, “I was not aware of any illegal conduct on the ministry’s part.” He emphasized his decision to step down was to prevent further harm to the coalition’s reputation.
New Justice Minister
New Justice Minister Eva Decroix, who was sworn in on June 10, has pledged to address the scandal head-on. “My task will be to restore public trust in the ministry,” Decroix stated, adding that she would “order an independent probe into the ministry’s activities in the case.” The national police’s organized crime unit is already investigating the matter.
Opposition leader Andrej Babiš, head of the ANO party, sharply criticized the government, accusing it of losing moral authority. “This is not about individuals. It is about a system in which the Minister of Justice feels untouchable. Prime Minister Fiala’s government has lost its moral authority,” Babiš declared in parliament on Tuesday. He also demanded the resignation of Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura, whom he considers central to the bitcoin case, alleging that Stanjura was aware of the donation. Stanjura and Fiala have both admitted they knew about the donation, but maintained they believed it to be in order.
Despite the intense debate and public scrutiny, the government, which holds a fragile majority of 104 seats in the 200-seat lower house, managed to secure enough votes to remain in power. This marks the fourth no-confidence motion Fiala’s government has survived since taking office in 2021. The scandal comes just months before the parliamentary election scheduled for October 3-4, where recent polls indicate ANO as the frontrunner.
