Description: The Czech conservative government coalition survived the no confidence vote earlier called by centrist opposition party, ANO, and its leader Andrej Babis. The no confidence vote was called due to a bitcoin scandal involving former Justice Minister Pavel Blazek who couldn’t explain the origin of $47 million in bitcoin donations he received from an individual previously involved in money laundering. Blazek claimed he didn’t do anything illegal but later on resigned from his position to allegedly protect the government and maintain its credibility. The scandal cased political turbulations in the Czech Republic ahead of the Oct parliamentary elections where Andrej Babis and ANO are expected to win.
Impact: The Czech government narrowly avoided the no confidence vote which aimed at instigating the parliamentary elections preemptively. Blazek’s resignation substantially contributed towards maintaining the credibility of the current conservative government, although, early election polls still put the centrist ANO party as the winner of the elections scheduled for Oct. The Czech Republic would undergo political transformation in crucial times of significant geopolitical turmoil caused by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, positioning the country towards the wave of far – right populism dominating the European political landscape.