The Czech government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS), survived a no-confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, but the political fallout from an ongoing scandal involving a Bitcoin donation shows no signs of fading.
The opposition has focused its fire on Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura, accusing him of either incompetence or active complicity in a transaction that critics say could amount to money laundering.
The no-confidence vote was supported by 94 MPs from ANO, SPD, and the Pirates, while 98 MPs from the ruling coalition parties ODS, TOP 09, KDU-ČSL, and STAN voted to keep the government in place. Some MPs from STAN, however, distanced themselves by walking out of the chamber during the vote. The result leaves the government intact, but hobbling along toward the parliamentary elections scheduled for early October.
The Bitcoin scandal erupted last month when news broke that the Czech Ministry of Justice had accepted a significant cache of cryptocurrency donated by Tomáš Jiřikovský, who served time for embezzlement, drug trafficking, and arms violations. Jiřikovský, who previously operated an online drug marketplace, transferred around 30 percent of the bitcoins from a police-confiscated wallet to the Ministry of Justice following his release from prison in 2021.
The ministry later auctioned the digital assets for nearly CZK 957 million, around €38.5 million.
Justice Minister Pavel Blažek, insisted he was not aware of any illegal conduct but resigned over the matter. The scandal, however, also led to calls for Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura to step down, with the opposition claiming he also knew about the donation.
ANO opposition leader Andrej Babiš shared a letter on X on Wednesday, dated Jan. 30, 2025, from Justice Minister Pavel Blažek to Finance Minister Stanjura, referencing an earlier oral conversation and enclosing materials related to a court ruling and the Bitcoin donation. The letter, marked “high priority,” has become central to opposition claims that Stanjura knew about the controversial gift long before he claims to have been made aware of it on March 25.
Ministr Stanjura lže, když říká, že se o všem dozvěděl až na konci března po podpisu darovací smlouvy. Tento dopis je důkaz.
“V návaznosti na náš ústní rozhovor si Vám dovoluji zaslat…”
Toto mu psal ministr Blažek už 30. ledna k bitcoinovému daru. Naprosto jistě tedy o tom… pic.twitter.com/oK8dM0a4Lf
— Andrej Babiš (@AndrejBabis) June 17, 2025
“According to our information, the legal department of the Ministry of Finance issued a negative opinion and warned that the transaction could be used to legalize Bitcoins,” Babiš said in parliament on Wednesday. “If that is true, then you had a reporting obligation that you did not fulfill. It should be immediately investigated by the police and the state prosecutor.”
Babiš also ridiculed the notion that Blažek and Stanjura merely planned to meet in person to discuss the matter. “They sit next to each other every Wednesday,” he said, accusing the two ministers of orchestrating the affair together.
Tomio Okamura, leader of the right-wing Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD), accused the government of attempting to launder untaxed money from organized crime. Pirate MP Olga Richterová stated bluntly: “Money laundering must be consistently combated, not aided in any way, which is why the resignation of the finance minister is necessary.”
Former finance minister Miroslav Kalousek has also weighed in, calling Stanjura’s defense “sad.” He offered three possible explanations: “Either the finance minister is lying, or he doesn’t manage his ministry, or both.”
For his part, Stanjura has denied wrongdoing, saying he only received the legal department’s opinion in late March and saw no reason at the time to escalate the matter. Stanjura claimed he advised Blažek against accepting the Bitcoins but was told it was already too late.
Prime Minister Fiala defended Stanjura, stating that the minister was informed only after the donation was accepted, which he said was entirely within the Justice Ministry’s remit. “Where else should people be able to assess whether the funds are not from illegal activities than at the Ministry of Justice?” Fiala asked. He admitted the ministry had made a poor decision but rejected calls for Stanjura’s removal.
The opposition remained unconvinced. “You have laundered the money,” Babiš declared.
At a press conference following the vote, ANO deputy leader Karel Havlíček said the government’s survival proved nothing. “The coalition held on. Despite the scandal, they are said to share ‘common values’. The result of its values policy is that people have definitively stopped trusting the state and that the Czech Republic’s reputation abroad has suffered.”
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
Fiala, meanwhile, claimed the opposition was only using the affair for political theater. “The opposition used the session as always — for throwing dirt, insults, and lies,” he said. “I’m glad the session is behind us, and the coalition continues to work for the Czech Republic.”
The post Czechia: Fiala’s cabinet survives no-confidence vote following Bitcoin donation scandal appeared first on Remix News.
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