Vít Jedlička: The Libertarian Visionary Behind Liberland

In a world where nations and territories were well-established, a visionary man had a bold dream. He introduced himself as Vít Jedlička, the founder and first president of the Free Republic of Liberland, a startup country situated between Croatia and Serbia, just 10 kilometers away from the Hungarian border. The territory covered a modest seven square kilometers but held immense potential for the pursuit of freedom and the implementation of cutting-edge technologies like blockchain.

Despite having more than 700,000 citizens, the country gained significant attention when Niko Omalana’s recent video showcased him sneaking into Liberland and, with the assistance of President Vít Jedlička, raising the country’s flag. This event propelled Vít Jedlička and Liberland to become a widely discussed topic across the internet. Now, let’s delve deeper into the details of this intriguing incident.

An Unwanted Land Becomes Liberland: Liberland was once an unwanted piece of land, a disputed territory between Serbia and Croatia after the Yugoslavian War. Vít Jedlička, inspired by the idea of creating the freest country in the world, claimed the land for himself and declared it the Free Republic of Liberland. However, Croatia fiercely guarded it with 24-hour surveillance, making it nearly impossible for anyone to set foot on the island.

Niko’s Journey to Liberland’s 8th Anniversary: Niko, determined to attend Liberland’s 8th-anniversary convention, travels to Serbia, where the event is being held. Upon arrival, he is met with a warm welcome from the Liberlandians and even gets a chance to meet President Vít Jedlička. The President shares his inspiration for founding Liberland and talks about the challenges faced in dealing with the constant police presence on the island.

Planning the Impossible: Sneaking into Liberland Niko sets three ambitious goals for his adventure: to meet the President, get onto the impossible island, and gain citizenship to Liberland. However, the Croatian police make it challenging for anyone to enter Liberland, even its Minister of Justice. Niko, determined to achieve his goals, comes up with a plan involving boats from Serbia and Hungary to bamboozle the police.

Attempting the Hungarian Technique: Niko and his team embark on a thrilling journey using the Hungarian technique to sneak into Liberland legally. They get a police escort to the Croatian border but face resistance from the Croatian police, who attempt to stop them. However, they find a way to cross the border legally and make it to Liberland’s shores, leaving the Croatian police behind.

The Triumph and The Capture: With persistence and determination, Niko and his team made history as they become the first group of people to legally step foot on Liberland. They perform the first currency exchange using Liberland’s currency, but their triumph is short-lived as the Croatian police catch up with them. Niko, realizing they hadn’t broken any laws, stands firm while the Croatian police try to question them.

Freedom and Citizenship: Despite the Croatian police’s efforts to detain them, Niko and his team are released and allowed to leave Liberland without any charges. They proudly present the Liberlandian passports given to them by President Vít Jedlička. This daring adventure comes to an end, leaving Niko with a newfound appreciation for the Liberlandians’ sense of community and spirit.

Vít Jedlička (born 6 September 1983) is a Czech libertarian politician, activist, and publicist. He is the founder and chairman of the Czech voluntary association Reformy.cz. In 2015, he established the self-declared libertarian micronation, the Free Republic of Liberland, and has been its president since then.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in international relations and affairs from the University of Economics, Prague (2008).
• Master’s degree in political science from the CEVRO Institute (2014).

Political Affiliations:

• Formerly a member of the Civic Democratic Party (2001-2009).
• Currently a member of the Free Citizens Party (2009-present).

Career Highlights:

• Managing director of HKfree.net, a civic network, and internet service in Hradec Králové (2006-2009).
• Regional chairman of the Party of Free Citizens (2009-2014).
• Co-founder and chairman of Reformy.cz, a libertarian community news service (2011-present).

Political Views:

• Considers himself a libertarian with liberal views on individual freedom and minimal state intrusion.
• Holds anarcho-capitalist views influenced by Bastiat and shares similarities with American politician Ron Paul.
• Eurosceptic, criticizing the democratic deficit and alleged abuses of moral rules by EU institutions and member states.
• Opposes socialism.

Notable Achievement:

Proclaimed the Free Republic of Liberland on unclaimed land (terra nullius) between Serbia and Croatia on 13 April 2015 and became its president.

In an Interview with Beyond Enterprises, Vít Jedlička explained that despite the skepticism of many, they were indeed serious about building a new country. They had scoured the world for the most suitable territory, and Liberal Land had unique attributes and a special status that made it ideal. It had remained untouched by any claims for over 25 years, and when they planted their flag there, the world took notice.

At first, they expected a slow trickle of citizenship applications, but to their astonishment, they received a massive influx of 200,000 applications in the first week alone. People from all corners of the globe were intrigued by the prospect of being part of a startup nation that prioritized freedom and innovation.

Vít Jedlička emphasized that Liberland was not a separatist movement but a country that emerged on a land considered to be in limbo. Their purpose was not to break away from existing nations but to carve out a new path for governance and society.

The key to Liberland’s unique vision lay in the preservation of freedoms. Most nations accumulate laws and regulations over time, leading to over-regulation and over-taxation. The founders of Liberland saw this as a problem and believed that a new nation needed to be built from the ground up, focusing on a minimum set of laws to ensure individual liberties.

They adopted the principles of the American Revolution, aiming to create a new balance of freedom. The goal was to avoid the gradual decline of democracies into semi-communist systems due to excessive taxes and regulations. The solution, according to Vít Jedlička, was to go one level above and start afresh with a new country.

Vít Jedlička passionately expressed that the conventional view of governance should shift to a more transparent and participatory approach. He believed that by involving the public in the political process through online voting and other means, there could be a rekindling of political and civic activism.

Beyond just a physical territory, Liberal Land was also a pioneer in the application of blockchain technology in governance. They embraced Bitcoin as their reserve currency and implemented blockchain systems for all internal processes of the government. Citizens actively participated as validators in the blockchain network, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Liberland Metaverse,” a collaboration between the Free Republic of Liberland, Zaha Did Architects Metaverse and Ark Agenda AO. The virtual space serves as an industry synergy and networking hub for crypto projects and companies. In an episode of Metaverse on Kalkine TV, The president of Liberland discussed the inspiration behind the creation of the Metaverse, which began as an urban design for Liberland and evolved into a 3D virtual space. The Metaverse will also have a physical presence, with plans for infrastructure development backed by investors and citizens.

Vít Jedlička emphasized the importance of freedom in Liberland, making it an attractive draw for crypto investors and projects. The Metaverse allows users to engage in various activities, including office spaces and transactions with different currencies, promoting a self-governing approach and less reliance on traditional rules and police forces. The interview also touches upon the forthcoming launch of land sales in the Metaverse and the growth of Liberland’s citizen base. Overall, Liberland aims to create a secure and free environment both in the virtual and real world. The episode concludes with an announcement that the anniversary of Liberland will mark the soft start of the Metaverse project.

Liberland’s success had garnered widespread interest, and they were open to e-residency programs, allowing people to be part of the society without becoming full citizens or physically relocating. They were also building a digital twin of Liberland, a virtual space where residents and citizens could interact, work, and socialize.

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