FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A British man, just 21 years old, has caused consternation in the Balkans by founding a micro-state called the Free Republic of Verdis, a small landmass along the Danube River, between Croatia and Serbia, where over 400 citizens currently live. He is also known as Pocket 3 and currently lives in Dover.
Verdis, according to its creator, Daniel, is roughly the size of 75 football fields, slightly larger than the Vatican, and has passports and "official" documents for its citizens, some of whom also have dual British citizenship.
Daniel was inspired for this project at a young age, as a 14-year-old student, by the micro-nation experiment Liberland, created by Czech politician Vít Jedlička in 2015. He and his schoolmates searched for an unclaimed piece of land along the Danube and chose a “terra nullius”: no-man’s land, which was not historically part of any sovereign state.
In 2019, Daniel was elected president of Verdi and appointed a government, ambassadors, and ministers for his new microstate.
To become a Verdisian, candidates must go through a rigorous process that includes interviews and character checks. Candidates must have no criminal record and must have useful skills in fields such as infrastructure or medicine. So far, over 2,800 people have applied to obtain “citizenship” through a route called e-Residency.
Daniel says the scheme has also helped with fundraising: around £180,000 has been used to finance the establishment of the site.
The establishment of Verdi has not been without its problems. Croatian authorities raided the island and arrested Daniel's group in 2023, holding them for 12 hours and deporting most of them for three months. Daniel and his deputy were given a permanent ban on “threats to homeland security.” He claims that the Croatian attack violates international law, as the land is not part of Croatia.
In his country, Verdis has a permanent police presence and CCTV cameras to prevent unauthorized entry. Nationalist groups have even filmed videos burning the Verdis flag to send a propaganda message.
Daniel himself says: “When work is over, we play video games. You have to be absolutely crazy to run a country in the Balkans. But we don't care what others say, they're probably just boring. The world is boring without something like that happening.”
In a few years, this extraordinary project has attracted international media attention and has led talented young people to explore the possibility of a life in a unique, independent and experimental state.
Verdis remains proof that creativity and courage can challenge traditional boundaries and laws even in one of the most controversial regions of Europe.
Lini një Përgjigje