Daniel Jackson proclaims himself President of the Free Republic of Verdi, leading its online government and citizen community. /Image:X

In an era when nearly every land on earth belonged to a recognized nation, the idea of ​​a new nation sounded almost impossible. However, 20-year-old Daniel Jackson, who holds dual British and Australian citizenship, insists he did just that. Jackson proclaimed himself president of the Free Republic of Verdi, a small patch of forest and sand along the Danube River between Serbia and Croatia that he said qualified no man’s land – No country claims ownership of the land. His project has attracted thousands of online supporters, volunteer government and even his own passport. But Jackson himself had no access to the territory he claimed to rule. He said that after trying to settle on the land in 2023, Croatian authorities deported him and imposed a lifetime ban, leaving the future president to run his microstate from exile.

Disputed land between Serbia and Croatia

The legal wrangling behind Verdes began with a technical dispute over the border along the Danube River, which forms much of the border between Croatia and Serbia. Historically, the border followed the course of the river. However, over time, the course of the Danube changed, leading to different interpretations of the border between the two countries. Croatia believes that the border should follow historical cadastral maps, while Serbia believes that the border is the center line of the Danube River. As a result of this disagreement, there are several small areas of land that fall outside the two countries’ claims. Under international law, these places can sometimes be described as “terra nullius,” a Latin term meaning “no man’s land”—territory that no sovereign state claims as its own. Two areas along this controversial stretch have been described this way. One of them is Gornja Siga, where Czech politician Vít Jedlička announced the creation of the liberal microstate Liberland in 2015. The other is Pocket 3, a sandy, forested area that Jackson calls Verdis. Jackson explained the logic behind this statement simply: “This land is unclaimed because neither Croatia nor Serbia want it,” he said. Croatia insists the land is part of Serbia, while Serbia considers its border to be the midline of the Danube River. “This leaves the oldest active claimant under international law (in this case Verdi) with rights to the land.”

A teenage experiment in nation-building

The idea started years ago, while Jackson was still in school. Born in Australia to British parents, he spent his childhood in Melbourne, attending Waverley Christian Academy, a private school in the city. He was 14 when he and a group of friends began scouring maps online for unusual geographical wonders. “It was kind of an experiment – we wanted to do something unique. I thought: let’s make this a reality,” Jackson later said. Some of his collaborators were friends from school; others were his friends. Others were people from southeastern Europe whom he met online. Together they discovered an uninhabited area along the Danube River and decided to try and turn it into a country.

The self-proclaimed free Republic of Verdi is located in Pocket 3 along the Danube River, close to Pocket 1 where Liberland is located.

The organization named it Verdis, derived from the Latin word “viridis” meaning green, reflecting their emphasis on environmental protection. The land itself is small, about 124 acres, or about half a square kilometer. In terms of area, it is only slightly larger than Vatican City, the world’s smallest internationally recognized country, which is about the size of 75 football fields. Apart from forests and scrubby riverbanks, this land has never been permanently inhabited.

Proclamation of the Free Republic of Verdi

Jackson officially proclaimed the Free Republic of Verdi in 2019 and was elected president by his supporters. From that point on, the group began building symbols of statehood. They designed a flag with light blue and white horizontal stripes and a coat of arms that combined Serbian and Croatian cultural symbols. The emblem includes the white stork as the national bird, the oak tree representing unity and strength, the wavy line symbolizing the Danube River, and symbols reflecting Serbian and Croatian traditions. A government was also established, including ministers responsible for foreign affairs, home affairs, infrastructure and defence, as well as volunteer ambassadors and officials. Two offices were set up, one in the UK and another in Serbia, with volunteers helping to run the project. The microstate also drafted basic laws, wrote a constitution, and began issuing passports and identity cards, although none of these laws were internationally recognized.

Citizenship, e-residency and Gen Z followers

Much of Verdis’s growth has occurred online. Jackson said the project has attracted thousands of supporters, especially young internet users interested in alternative governance and digital citizenship. So far, about 3,000 people have applied to become Verdisians, many through the e-residency route, which allows supporters to engage with national institutions digitally.

Daniel Jackson at the Verdi Embassy in Dover, Kent Photo credit: Gary Stone via The Sun

According to Verdis officials, by the end of 2025, the number of actual citizens, issued passports and ID cards, will be approximately 400. The e-residency program has its own application process. Associate members must first purchase the e-Resident Plus plan for €50 per year, hold it for at least 11 months, and then apply for citizenship. Applicants must obtain the support of two existing Verdisian citizens or provide a DBS background check, remain active in the Verdis forum, commit to future relocation to the region, and pay a €300 processing fee. Applicants can also receive fast-track approval if they make a significant contribution to the project or are considered “extremely beneficial to national development.”

first attempt to settle land

For years, Verdis existed primarily online. But in October 2023, Jackson and a group of supporters attempted to physically occupy the territory. They marched along the Danube River, planting their blue and white flags on the land, launching what they called the “settlement phase” of their nation-building efforts. A timetable has been planned so that different groups of Verdi citizens take turns operating in the territory over the coming months to ensure a continued presence. But the effort lasted only one day. “It was short-lived,” Jackson later told CNN Travel. According to him, Croatian police arrived the next morning, dismantled the camp and detained the settlers for questioning. “They broke up the camp,” he said. The group said they were detained for about 12 hours before being deported. Most of the participants received three-month bans from Croatia, but Jackson and his deputy, Hector Bowles, who worked between Dover and Bulgaria, were handed lifetime bans on the grounds that they were deemed to “pose a threat to homeland security.”

Croatia’s response

The Croatian government rejects the idea that the land is terra nullius. In a statement to CNN, Croatia’s foreign ministry described the Verdi project, as well as the nearby Liberland claim, as “provocations without any legal basis.” The ministry said Croatia was only fulfilling its obligations to protect its external borders and the Schengen Area, Europe’s passport-free travel area. Officials also reject the idea that disputed borders automatically create unclaimed territory. The ministry said Croatia and Serbia “both understand and respect a fundamental principle of international law: the pending delimitation will not render any space terra nullius open to occupation by third parties”.

life in exile

Now in charge of Wilders in the UK, Jackson describes himself as a virtual “exile”. He lives in Dover with a family friend, working remotely as a freelance game developer for the online platform Roblox while continuing to organize Verdis’ government. The project is funded through a combination of donations, merchandise sales and the Citizenship by Investment program. In one instance, cryptocurrency enthusiasts raised over $37,000 via an independent digital token called $Verdis. The government also pays for ministers to travel to meetings or attempt to visit the territory. But reaching Verdi itself has become increasingly difficult. Croatian authorities installed cameras along the coastline and patrol boats quickly intercepted boats approaching land, Jackson said. “Even if your ship hovers in territorial waters for 10 minutes, a Croatian police ship will be on its way very quickly,” he said. Some of Verdis’ ships also disappeared after deportation in 2023, and Jackson suspects they were seized by Croatian authorities.

Protests and ongoing tensions

Verdi supporters also held demonstrations. Members of the microstate organized a protest outside the Croatian embassy in London, accusing authorities of blocking access to the territory. Nationalist groups in the Balkans also posted videos online showing the burning of the Verdi flag, Jackson said. Despite the setbacks, he insists the project is far from over. “I still believe that sooner or later we will return to this land and Croatia will have to respect international law, including Verdi’s territorial integrity,” he told CNN Travel. “We will never give up on our goals. We want to have a positive relationship with Croatia in the future. We want to work with them.”

Countries that currently exist mainly on the Internet

Currently, Wildis is cooperating with the Provisional Government, and Jackson remains unable to enter the territory he claims. The organization recently opened a second embassy in Novi Sad, Serbia, hoping to gain support among young Serbs and Croats interested in the idea of ​​neutral microstates that promote peaceful coexistence. Jackson himself said he did not intend to remain president forever. His long-term plan is to eventually resign and become a citizen of Verdi, handing over leadership to others once the country is established. “They didn’t try to annex us, and I think they were annoyed that we didn’t give up our rights to the land,” he said of Croatian authorities. “Maybe they’re worried that we’re going to become a lawless country.” For Jackson, the question is not if Verdi will exist, but when. “We held protests outside the Croatian embassy and they tried to exclude us as much as possible,” he said. But he remains convinced the experiment will continue. “It’s a matter of time.”