The Czech government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, faced a no-confidence vote on June 17 after a $45M Bitcoin donation triggered backlash across Parliament. The donation came from Tomáš Jiřikovský, a man previously convicted of drug trafficking, weapons offenses, and embezzlement.
On May 27, Jiřikovský donated 1,561 Bitcoin to the Ministry of Justice. A Czech court returned access to his cryptocurrency after authorities had seized his devices. Jiřikovský had been sentenced in 2017 and released in 2021.
The donation raised questions due to Jiřikovský’s ties to the Nucleus Market, an illicit platform. Tech specialist Jiří Berger, present during the wallet access, said they could not reach an additional 3,855.15 Bitcoin. That stash remains locked in older technology.
The Civic Democratic Party remained in power after the no-confidence vote failed in the Czech Parliament. Opposition parties ANO, SPD, and the Pirate Party supported the motion. However, it received only 94 votes, short of the 101 required.
This marked the fourth no-confidence attempt against Fiala’s party since 2022, following earlier efforts over energy prices, inflation, and espionage claims. Debate on the motion lasted over 24 hours, according to České Noviny.
After the vote, Fiala acknowledged that the donation damaged public confidence. He stated,
“The Civic Democratic Party will take responsibility for ethical misconduct.”
He also accused the opposition of using the debate to spread “dirt, insults, and lies,” in a post on X dated June 19.
The fallout from the $45M Bitcoin donation led to Justice Minister Pavel Blažek’s resignation on May 30. He had been under scrutiny over how the Ministry of Justice processed Jiřikovský’s donation. The pressure also extended to Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura, who faces claims that he knew about the transfer beforehand.
On June 10, President Petr Pavel appointed Eva Decroix as the new Minister of Justice. She pledged to launch an independent investigation.
“The Ministry of Justice will provide cooperation in the investigation of the donation case,”
Decroix stated.
Jiřikovský reportedly offered around a third of his crypto assets to the ministry. The exact method by which the donation was accepted remains under review. The Ministry of Justice, now under Decroix, has not yet detailed internal procedural changes.
Authorities have not recovered the remaining 3,855.15 Bitcoin tied to the Nucleus Market. The device holding it remains inaccessible. Jiří Berger confirmed that the data was stored on outdated tech, preventing recovery.
The Czech government continues to face scrutiny over the incident. Members of Parliament are pushing for clarity on how such a large transfer from a known convict was accepted. The issue has become part of broader concerns about crypto activity involving public institutions.
