The Czech Republic’s Civic Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, successfully withstood a no-confidence vote on June 18, 2025, sparked by a controversial $45 million Bitcoin donation.
This marks the fourth attempt by opposition parties to unseat Fiala’s government in three years, following previous motions concerning energy policy, inflation, and allegations of spying between September 2022 and October 2023.
The no-confidence motion, spearheaded by opposition groups including ANO, SPD, and the Pirates, failed to pass, securing only 94 votes—seven short of the required majority of 101 after over 24 hours of parliamentary debate.
The controversy stems from a 1 billion Czech koruna ($45 million) Bitcoin donation made to the Ministry of Justice on May 27 by Tomáš Jiřikovský. Jiřikovský is a convicted individual with a criminal history that includes drug trafficking, weapons offences, and embezzlement. He was sentenced in 2017 and subsequently released in 2021. The donation consisted of 1,561 Bitcoin, which represented approximately one-third of his crypto assets, made accessible after a court ruling returned his previously seized devices. A tech expert, Jiří Berger, who was present when Jiřikovský opened the wallet containing the 1,561 Bitcoin, noted that a larger cache of 3,855.15 Bitcoin, previously linked to the illicit Nucleus Market, remains inaccessible due to outdated technology.
Prime Minister Fiala acknowledged the incident’s negative impact, admitting that the donation “could have been prevented” and had “shaken public confidence” in his party. He affirmed his party would “take responsibility for ethical misconduct” but also accused the opposition of using the debate to “throw dirt, insults and lies”.
Máme za sebou další hlasování o nedůvěře vládě. Dopadlo podle očekávání a vláda hlasování ustála.
Opozice schůzi využila jako vždy – k házení špíny, k urážkám a ke lžím. Od Andreje Babiše jsme se zároveň dozvěděli, že vlastně žádné informace nechce a žádný audit ho nezajímá. V… pic.twitter.com/ogUqhLeizZ
— Petr Fiala (@P_Fiala) June 18, 2025
The scandal has already led to significant repercussions within the government. Former Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned on May 30, and Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura is currently facing calls for his resignation amid allegations of prior knowledge about the donation. Furthermore, Eva Decroix, sworn in as the new Justice Minister on June 10, has committed to launching an independent investigation into the ministry’s actions concerning the donation.
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