Daniel Jackson knows many see his plan as audacious—some might even call it bonkers.
At just 21, he holds the title of the world’s youngest political leader, surpassing Iceland’s Kristrún Frostadóttir, who became prime minister at 36 in 2024. The contrast with Donald Trump, inaugurated at 79 as the oldest US president in history, couldn’t be starker.
When the Daily Mail spoke to Jackson, who hails from Melbourne, it was 10 pm in the UK, and he had been at his desk since dawn. “Being a president can be very exhausting,” he admitted.
Jackson, a former student of Waverley Christian College, is the founder and head of the Free Republic of Verdis, a micronation he carved out in 2019 on a tiny patch of forest along the Danube River, straddling Croatia and Serbia. Accessible only by boat, the nation covers just 124 acres—making it the second smallest in the world after Vatican City.
But the dream that captured global attention has come at a cost. Today, Jackson lives in exile after Croatian forces swept into Verdis in October 2023, forcibly expelling its citizens. The land had long been unclaimed, caught in a border dispute following the Croatian War of Independence.
Verdis lies near Liberland, another self-proclaimed state founded in 2015 by Czech politician Vít Jedlička on unclaimed land, with crypto billionaire Justin Sun now serving as its prime minister. While Liberland champions anarchist Libertarian ideals, Jackson says Verdis operates differently. “They’re quite anarchist, Libertarian, whereas Verdis has a normal centralized government, and more views around humanitarian aid,” he explained.
Jackson is lobbying for international recognition of Verdis and an end to Croatia’s blockade, actively seeking acknowledgment from UN member and observer states.
Why Croatia blockaded Verdis remains a mystery to him, though the foreign ministry calls Jackson’s occupation “provocative actions without any basis in law” and claims their security cameras were installed to guard the EU’s Schengen Area border.
Jackson insists Verdis has never aimed to be a haven for crime. “We don’t plan on being a hot spot for anything. We don’t plan on legalising, say, marijuana,” he said. “We’ve always made it clear to Croatia that we’re ready to cooperate to make sure Verdis is a safe state.” He also suspects geopolitical strategy may be involved: “It could be that they’re using the land as a bargaining chip with Serbia.”
Despite the setbacks, momentum is building. The nation now has 400 residents and 1,400 e-residents, enough to justify a second office in Belgrade, Serbia.
In the past three months alone, Verdis has raised $220,000 through investors, crowdfunding, and its e-residency program. Most citizens are ethnic Serbs and Croats, making Jackson—a dual Australian-UK national—a minority in his own country. He hopes Verdis can help reconcile historical divisions and foster economic growth.
“I think younger people from these regions are much more supportive than older generations,” he said. “With the experience of the Yugoslav wars, they see Verdis as a way to bring business and opportunity to neighbouring areas.”
Jackson envisions transforming the 124-acre forest and beach into a hub for global entrepreneurs, enabling digital business registration similar to Estonia. “The best ending would be for Verdis to be recognized as an independent sovereign state, with permanent infrastructure and a growing economy,” he said.
So far, a few governments have quietly engaged with him but hesitate to make public moves, wary of straining relations with Croatia. The biggest obstacle remains the Croatian government, which labels him a national security threat. In September, Croatian police chased Verdis’ foreign minister and journalists through Verdisian waters, nearly ramming their boat at 60 km/h.
Jackson insists Verdis has never been part of Croatia and condemns the police action as “outrageous and aggressive.” He points to the Montevideo Convention of 1933, which defines the criteria for sovereign statehood: permanent population, defined territory, functioning government, and the ability to enter relations with other states. “We’re not impeding on Croatia’s land. They’ve never considered this piece of land their own,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the Free Republic of Verdis has staged protests outside the Croatian embassy in London and attracted supporters like Serbian singer-songwriter Luke Black, a 2023 Eurovision contestant. Jackson even sees Eurovision as a potential platform to gain recognition and amplify Verdis on the global stage.
Back in Australia, Jackson’s parents were never surprised by his bold moves, including leaving home at 17 to move to the UK. “I’ve definitely scared them to death half the time, especially with Croatia,” he said.
“Seeing the support we’ve had is heartwarming, because we know what we’re doing can be considered absolutely bonkers. But the world would be boring without something like this happening. It’s inspiring for young people to see that even when times are bleak, it’s best to just keep pushing.”
