Czech Government Survives No-Confidence Vote Over Bitcoin Donation
The Czech government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, overcame a no-confidence vote sparked by a controversial $45 million bitcoin donation from a convicted criminal. The donation of 468 bitcoin was accepted by the then-Justice Minister Pavel Blazek. The opposition party ANO, leading in polls for the October parliamentary elections, accused the government of possibly facilitating the laundering of illicit funds due to the uncertain origins of the bitcoin. Critics asserted that the government should have consulted authorities before accepting the donation. After two days of debate, the no-confidence motion failed, maintaining Fiala's coalition majority in the lower house. Blazek defended his actions as legal, asserting that the funds constituted about 30% of the crypto recovered from the donor's devices. Despite the political turmoil, the motives behind the donation remain ambiguous, highlighting the challenges in regulating cryptocurrency donations within governance contexts.
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