POLITICS
I Was Wrong; the Newest Country in the World Isn’t Liberland; it is Verdis!
I interviewed Verdis President Mr. Daniel Jackson.
I wrote a piece in March titled “The World’s Newest Country Is a Libertarian Utopia: Liberland,” which described this libertarian nation. Many people expressed their amazement in learning about Liberland’s existence. But I was wrong. Liberland isn’t the newest country; Verdis is.
Verdis is located on the Danube River between Croatia and Serbia. The territory emerged due to an ongoing territorial dispute between Croatia and Serbia.
Since the breakup of Yugoslavia, no nation, entity, or private entity has claimed the region until it was declared as the Free Republic of Verdis on May 30th, 2019, by Mr. Daniel Jackson and his administration.
While Verdis is yet to have international recognition as a sovereign state, they have made significant progress in a short time.
According to its website, its mission is to set an example.
“We hope to set an example for future and present nations in terms of reconciliation of ethnic groups, building new services, building more environmentally conscious plans and infrastructure, and helping to establish more human rights.
We want to show how a sovereign state can function under our goals and vision while being completely environmentally conscious and largely humanitarian, hoping that other nations will follow in our footsteps to make the world a better and more secure place.”
It was “Terra Nullius”
It’s the legal doctrine that land is unclaimed and accessible for the taking. While Verdis does not have official recognition, it has declared itself a sovereign state and operates as one. The country is run by Jackson and his team of eight people.
International Law
I’m not an international legal expert, but I’ve learned that three factors determine the success of any new country:
1) Whether or not other countries recognize its sovereignty
2) The willingness of its citizens to comply with international law
3) Its ability to function as an independent state
Recognition of Sovereignty
The first thing any new country needs is recognition of sovereignty, and this is where it gets tricky. For a new government to be recognized by the international community, it must meet specific criteria set out by the Montevideo Convention.
The convention was drafted in 1933 and set out the following standards:
a) A permanent population
b) A defined territory
c) Government capability
d) Capacity to enter into relations with other states
While Verdis meets some of the criteria, it has yet to be recognized by any other state. This is not surprising given that the region is still disputed territory between Croatia and Serbia.
For Verdis to be recognized, it would need the support of a significant number of UN member states.
Verdis also does not have a permanent population as far as I know.
Ability to function as an independent state
This is another area where Mr. Jackson and his administration will have to prove themselves. For Verdis to be a functional state, it will need to establish institutions and infrastructure.
So far, the team has made progress on this front by setting up a website and establishing a government and its Basic Laws, which will serve as an uncodified constitution until Verdis’ Provisional Government disbands and a newly drafted constitution enters into force.
Interview with the President of Verdis
Daniel Jackson approached me because he read my piece on Liberland. He was kind enough to give me some insight. That’s how I learned about Verdis.
I asked him some questions, and here are his answers:
What inspired you to start your own country?
Me and other members of Verdis’ Government. It’s a team effort, essentially. We were inspired to create one as we wanted to make a difference in the region, and we wanted to do something unique.
What are your long-term goals for Verdis?
Our long-term goal for Verdis is for the country to become internationally recognized with a stable government, economy, and growing population.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Verdis?
One of the biggest challenges for Verdis is currently international recognition and the economy. Those two factors are vital for Verdis to thrive, and they’re also going to be extremely difficult for us to accomplish.
How are you funding your administration?
We are being funded through processing fees and crowdfunding, although we’re looking to open alternatives soon, such as investments.
How many citizens does Verdis have?
Verdis currently has around 200 citizens, although we’ve had many more applications. We’ve become quite strict on applications for Verdis citizenship.
How are your efforts to become international recognition going?
Our efforts to become internationally recognized are going well but slow. We’ve built support from several politicians, political parties, and activists. However, we are still actively working for recognition from UN member states. We hope to accomplish this in the coming years.
Have you stepped foot on the land claim?
Yes! When we started our trip in Aljmas, We went past Verdis while going up to Apatin, then turned towards Verdis and later landed the boat in an area with enough depth for the motor enough to beach the bow to reach the shore.
When I stood off onto the land, it felt like a fantastic experience since so much of us had put in so much work to establish this nation, and stepping foot there for the first time myself took me a good minute or so to process before walking around. It was amazing.
It’s yet to be seen whether or not Verdis will be successful, but they’re certainly off to a good start. I am rooting for them!
What do you think? Do you believe Verdis has what it takes to be a prosperous sovereign state? Let me know in the comments below!
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