There was a political turmoil in the Czech Republic after a €40m bitcoin scandal that led Justice Minister Pavel Blažek to resign. But even with the outburst, Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s centre-right coalition weathered a no-confidence vote on June 18, 2025, in a dramatic Czech democratic twist.
The Scandal: Bitcoin and a Convicted Drug Trafficker
The scandal started when it emerged that a suspicious €40 million bitcoin “gift” had been given to the Czech Justice Ministry by Tomáš Jiřikovský, a convicted criminal trafficker. Although courts were unable to definitively label the crypto assets as being of criminal origin, the transaction arouse doubts straight away and generated a political scandal.
Under heavy pressure, hardline ODS party member Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned last week. Blažek continued to claim he had been acting within the law, but resigned in an attempt to avoid maximum damage to the government. His move did nothing to stifle criticism or to appease opposition parties.
Opposition Attempts to Overthrow the Government
Seizing on popular indignation, opposition ANO party (Patriots), extreme-right SPD (ESN), and the Pirates (Greens/EFA) collectively brought a no-confidence motion against the government. The opposition had presented an argument that the bitcoin scandal had seriously undermined confidence in the honesty and regulation ability of the government.
Their try, though, did not quite have the 101 votes necessary to topple the government. Only 94 MPs voted in favor of the motion, compared with 98 coalition MPs who supported the government. A number of abstentions and absences on each side buoyed Prime Minister Fiala’s cabinet, just barely.
Fiala Reacts: Crisis Managed, Not Dodged
In a strong denial, Prime Minister Petr Fiala highlighted that his government acted legally and quickly. For him to believe, Blažek’s resignation was an indication of a willingness to accept responsibility and not guilt.
The Prime Minister nominated Eva Decroix as the new Justice Minister. Decroix vowed to order a full investigation of the bitcoin transfer and pledged to spearhead an independent audit of the ministry’s financial transactions.
“We are not covering this under the carpet,” Decroix told reporters. “There will be transparency, accountability and explanations.”
Money Laundering Charges and Loopholes in Law
While no explicit legal connection between Jiřikovský’s crypto wealth and crime was established by courts, money laundering as a possibility is a key theme. The issue has been put into the limelight in the case by loopholes in the regulation of crypto donations, particularly in ministries dealing with sensitive documents such as justice.
There are also ongoing research, and the Czech financial authorities are currently demanding tighter controls on massive crypto transactions by government institutions.
Political Impacts and Election Pressures
The scandal is a few months before the October 2025 general elections, adding to the Fiala government’s embarrassment. It was seized upon by opposition parties, which attempted to dismantle the ruling coalition’s popular image and challenge its moral mandate.
Political analysts note although the no-confidence motion was lost, the scandal may still hurt the coalition’s credibility with voters if additional irregularities are found in the audit.
Coalition Sticks Together – For Now
In spite of the scandal, the four-party government coalition that is Fiala’s ODS (ECR), STAN, Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), and TOP 09 stood firm. Most of the coalition MPs voted in favor of the government, although abstentions reflected internal unease.
Nevertheless, at the moment, Petr Fiala is still in power, although political commentators claim his rule is being put to the test like never before.
Storm Not Over Yet
The Czech bitcoin scandal shook the nation’s political firmament, although the government survived the initial bout. Although the resignation of Justice Minister Blažek and the failure of the no-confidence vote attest to containment, the far-reaching consequences for governance, transparency, and crypto regulation are just beginning.
With elections pending and probes in progress, the Czech government far from safe at this point. What began as a questionable crypto donation could potentially determine the nation’s political destiny in 2025.
