Belgrade, Serbia — Daniel Jackson, a 20-year-old British-Australian, proclaimed himself the youngest president in the world after establishing the “Free Republic of Verdis” on an uninhabited stretch of land along the Danube River. Known internationally as “Pocket 3,” the 124-acre territory lies within a disputed border zone between Croatia and Serbia.
Jackson and his small team raised a blue-and-white flag in 2023, appointed ministers, drafted basic laws, and even issued passports. He claimed to have attracted 400 “citizens” and 900 e-residents to his cause. But within days, Croatian police dismantled the camp and deported him, calling the occupation a “provocative action without any basis in law.”
Croatia’s foreign ministry emphasized that while the Danube boundary remains contested, no part of the riverbank can be considered terra nullius open to third-party claims. Serbia also declined to recognize Verdis.
Despite the setback, Jackson insists on continuing his project from “exile” in the United Kingdom. He envisions Verdis as a neutral zone for reconciliation and humanitarian initiatives, even delivering aid to Ukraine under the banner of the “Verdis Red Cross.”
Supporters argue that Verdis represents a symbolic attempt to imagine new forms of governance in a region long marked by conflict. Critics, however, dismiss the effort as unrealistic, noting that international recognition requires far more than symbolic gestures.
Jackson remains defiant: “We will never give up on our goal. Sooner or later, Verdis will be back on the land, and we hope to build positive relations with Croatia in the future.”
