Australian Claims Presidency of European Nation – Hoax?

Daniel Jackson, a 21-year-old from Australia, founded the micronation of the Free Republic of Verdis – a half-square-kilometer territory between Croatia and Serbia – and now leads it as president.

Verdis: A Gen Z-Driven Micronation

Like many 21-year-olds, Daniel Jackson is often asked to verify his age when entering bars and clubs. However, instead of presenting his Australian passport, he uses a Verdisian passport, which he says has never been a problem.

“Verdesian” refers to residents of the country Daniel invented as a 14-year-old – the Free Republic of Verdis. He declared independence in 2019 after discovering an uninhabited area, known as Pocket 3, that was unclaimed by either Croatia or Serbia.

“This piece of land was unclaimed, as neither Croatia nor Serbia wanted it,” he said. “Croatia insists this piece of land is part of Serbia, whereas Serbia considers its border to be the central line of the Danube.”

At just half a square kilometre, the territory is smaller than Vatican City, but Daniel asserts Verdis has a growing community and purpose.

Rallying Support and Establishing Governance

What began as a joke with friends has evolved into Daniel’s full-time job. Verdis currently boasts 400 “citizens” and approximately 2,000 “e-residents,” who pay at least 25 euros (NZ$49) annually for the privilege. The micronation also includes a foreign minister and an internal affairs minister, and operates two volunteer-staffed offices in the UK and Serbia.

Verdis, derived from the Latin word for green, viridis, has its own flag and constitution, issues passports, and promotes itself online as a haven for humanitarianism, democratic values, and environmental protection, particularly appealing to Gen Z.

“There’s definitely a lot more younger people involved in Verdis,” Daniel said. “Some want to be part of building history… or maybe they would like to settle down there eventually.”

Challenges to Settlement and Recognition

Despite his aspirations, settling Verdis has proven challenging. While Croatia doesn’t officially claim the land, it considers any attempts at settlement illegal and a breach of its border security. In 2023, Daniel and supporters were forcibly removed from the territory by Croatian police, and he has since been banned from entering Croatia.

“The Croatian border police are illegally blockading Verdis,” Daniel said. “At the same time, they’re protecting Verdis from anyone else entering. We’ve had protests outside of the Croatian embassy in London… and I think it’s only a matter of time until Croatia lifts its blockade.”

Verdis’ claim to the land is based on the legal concept of ‘terra nullius’ or ‘nobody’s land’ – a term historically used to justify colonization. Daniel defends its use, stating, “There’s no evidence of a settlement previously existing in Verdis. It’s never historically been part of Croatia… and we have good relations with our locals. Most of our citizens are from the neighbouring countries.”

Currently based in the UK, Daniel funds Verdis through crowdfunding, residency fees, and even a donation from cryptocurrency meme coin sales, and now draws a wage from these sources.

Expert Perspective on Micronations

According to University of New South Wales law professor and micronations expert Harry Hobbs, a breakaway country must have a territory, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter relations with other governments to be considered a state.

Hobbs believes Daniel has achieved three of these conditions but needs a sustained presence on the land to prove a permanent population. “If he can settle there and can get a group of 50, 60, 100 people, that might be enough to say, ‘I’ve got a permanent population, I’m a state’.”

However, Hobbs concedes that even meeting the criteria doesn’t guarantee recognition. “Even though he might meet the international legal criteria for a state, the next question is ‘so what?’ You can declare yourself a state, but if other countries don’t treat you as a state, it doesn’t really help. If there’s nothing in it for the bigger countries, they won’t recognise it.”

Hobbs notes that micronations often serve as community-building exercises or attract individuals with unconventional beliefs. He also cautioned about potential scams, citing instances of people losing money seeking asylum through micronations.

The Future of Verdis

Daniel Jackson remains optimistic about Verdis’ future, claiming to have had positive discussions with leaders of neighboring countries and expressing confidence in eventual recognition. “I think it would be very cool for us to be in Eurovision,” he jokes. “There are also a number of people who want to start sports teams.”

He acknowledges his growing public profile, stating he is often recognized and sometimes receives complimentary drinks from shopkeepers, but also values maintaining a normal life. “I think every head of state tries to do that.”