An Australian young man announces the establishment of a new country on the Danube River and grants citizenship to 400 people.
A 21-year-old Australian has declared the establishment of a new country on a small strip of land between Croatia and Serbia on the banks of the Danube River, where he has proclaimed himself president of what he calls the 'Free Republic of Verdis', in a move that has not received any international recognition, according to the Austrian news agency APA.
This strip of land is located in a narrow forest area on the banks of the Danube and has an area equivalent to about 75 football fields. The founder of the state says that no country clearly claims this land, and therefore he unilaterally declared it an independent state.
Despite the lack of international recognition, the project has created symbolic structures resembling states, including a special flag, passports with security features, a government, and ambassadors, in addition to a special currency. The founder of the project claims that more than 400 people have joined this state, while about 2800 people have applied for its citizenship.
The young man says he discovered the area when he was a teenager after seeing it on a map, and then he started planning to establish this small state. Most of the supporters of the project come from young groups in Europe.
To obtain the 'Verdus' citizenship, applicants must meet several conditions, including providing a clean criminal record, passing a personal interview, and paying a fee of no less than 350 euros.
In contrast, the Croatian authorities clearly rejected this project. When the founder of the state and his supporters attempted to establish a settlement in the area, Croatian security forces intervened and temporarily detained several participants before deporting them.
In 2023, Croatia imposed a lifetime entry ban on the project's founder, considering that he may pose a threat to internal security.
Legally, 'Verdis' is not considered a state under international law. Experts point out that the establishment of a state requires a defined territory, a population, and an effective governing authority, emphasizing that the concept of 'land not belonging to any state' is almost nonexistent in modern international legal systems.
Despite the criticisms, the young Australian continues to hold on to his project, affirming that he aims in the long term to transform 'Verdus' into a neutral state, and hopes to live there in the future as an ordinary citizen.