Czech coalition government survives no-confidence vote over bitcoin scandal

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech government survived a parliamentary no-confidence vote called by the main opposition party on Wednesday over a bitcoin-related scandal.

Only 94 opposition lawmakers in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament voted in favor of dismissing the four-party coalition led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

At least 101 votes were needed to oust the government at the end of a two-day debate.

The main opposition centrist ANO (YES) movement led by populist billionaire Andrej Babiš requested the vote after the Justice Ministry accepted a donation of bitcoins and sold them for almost 1 billion Czech koruna ($47 million) earlier this year.

Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned from his post over the issue on May 30 and was replaced by Eva Decroix on June 10.

Blažek said he wasn’t aware of any wrongdoing, but didn’t want the coalition to be harmed by the scandal. Fiala said he believed Blažek acted with goodwill.

Decroix said she will order an independent probe into the ministry’s activities in the case.

The scandal focuses on the fact that the bitcoins were donated to the ministry by a person who was previously convicted of drug dealing and other crimes, while it was not clear why he did it.

The opposition has accused Blažek of possible money laundering, because it wasn’t clear where the bitcoins originated, and demanded the resignation of the entire government. The issue is being investigated by the national police’s organized crime unit.

It was the fourth no-confidence motion since the government took over after a 2021 election.

The scandal comes just months before the Oct. 3-4 parliamentary election. Babiš and his movement are predicted to win the vote.