Eva Decroix assumed office as Czech Justice Minister on Tuesday, formally appointed by President Petr Pavel at Prague Castle in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Her immediate mandate is to restore public trust following a 1-billion-koruna ($46 million) bitcoin donation scandal that forced predecessor Pavel Blažek’s resignation on 30 May. “The public trust in the institutions and the state is at stake,” President Pavel declared during the swearing-in, underscoring the gravity of the crisis.
The controversy centres on the Justice Ministry’s acceptance of bitcoins from a convicted drug trafficker, whose motives remain unexplained. Opposition parties allege potential money laundering, noting the unclear origin of the cryptocurrency.
Blažek—a close ally of PM Fiala from the Civic Democratic Party (ODS)—resigned stating he “wasn’t aware of any wrongdoing” but sought to shield the ruling coalition from damage. Fiala accepted the resignation, affirming his belief that Blažek “acted with goodwill.”
Decroix, also from ODS, faces intense pressure to deliver accountability. She vowed to “gain everyone’s trust through my concrete steps” and announced an independent external audit of the ministry’s handling of the affair. The audit, commissioned from a private firm, aims for public release of findings by late August.
The scandal’s timing intensifies its impact, erupting just four months before critical 3–4 October parliamentary elections. The opposition ANO party, led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, now demands the entire government’s resignation and plans a parliamentary no-confidence vote later this month.
Decroix’s success may determine the ruling coalition’s survival, as ANO leads polling amid widespread public disillusionment.
