In April 2023, during the eighth anniversary of the Free Republic of Liberland, I visited and observed that this tiny proto-nation had little to suggest it was on its way to becoming “the freest country on the planet.” Despite no permanent residents, scant buildings, and frequent flooding, Liberland has gained allies in influential positions.
Founded in 2015 by Czech euro-skeptic politician Vít Jedlička, who criticized European democracies for strict regulation and overtaxation, Liberland emerged from his search for an unclaimed land—a rare plot known as *terra nullius*. A border dispute between Serbia and Croatia, a legacy of Yugoslavia’s breakup in the 1990s, left land pockets west of the Danube unclaimed by either nation. Jedlička declared Liberland on the largest of these plots.
The Croatian government has continually thwarted Liberland’s settlement attempts, treating the land as disputed. Jedlička, Liberland’s president, has faced multiple arrests by Croatian border police. During my visit in 2023, I experienced a slow police pursuit on the Danube; Croatian officers followed our boat on its journey from Serbia, prepared to stop any landing attempts.
The Croatian government has labeled Liberland “a fictitious project of a handful of adventurers.”
Now, two years later, Liberland’s government feels close to a breakthrough. With Chinese cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun as its new prime minister, Liberland seeks to advance in international diplomacy, particularly with the US, to finally claim the land.
“Having someone like Justin Sun involved means we’re taken more seriously,” Jedlička says. “People see that we can uplift the whole region.”
The White House, Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and Sun did not comment.
Liberland has been largely funded by affluent crypto donors, drawn by a state aligned with libertarian crypto principles. Liberland has released two crypto coins—one for exchanges, the other for elections—and developed a national blockchain.
Sun, first elected as prime minister of Liberland in October, has been re-elected thrice more, through quarterly votes.
Sun stated on X, after his initial election, that “Just as Vatican City represents a central spiritual authority for Catholics, Liberland will be the heart of the libertarian movement,” describing it as the ideological home for libertarians globally, despite their nationalities.
Sun could be a significant political ally for Liberland.