The Details

Formerly referred to as “Gornjia Siga,” the self-declared sovereign state is located on 3 sq mil between Croatia and Serbia. Vít Jedlička, regional party leader of one of the Czech Republic’s northern districts, seized the opportunity in response to the Croatian and Serbian border dispute. The boundary was defined so as not to interfere with the territory borders of either Croatia or Serbia.

Liberland was founded on the principles of personal and economic freedom, and has drafted a Constitution that severely limits the power of politicians. Their motto is “To Live and Let Live.” According to the wikipedia page, Jedlička did this with support from his own political party, as well as the Civic Democratic Party and the Pirate Party.

The Government

The tiny new state has outlined a very liberal government structure, starting with the government size: suggested 10-20 members. According to the official website, the only people who are not eligible for application are communists, neonazzis, and extremists. Liberland wants to promote honesty and righteousness without being burdened by taxes and regulations.

The proposed government is three-powered, with legislative, executive, and judicial branches that all seek to promote individual rights. The drafted Constitution outlines such crimes as manslaughter, theft, and “polluting environment.”

Reception

According to The Verge, Jedlička, the country’s president, makes the infant nation seem like an experiment. The country was formed as a way to “find out the minimum amount of taxes and regulation needed to live.” The article goes on to say, “Any services or civic institutions — firefighters, banks, cell phone service — will be provided on a strictly volunteer basis. If you were going to sketch out a libertarian paradise, this is basically what it would look like.”

From the Washington Post, who got their information from local news sources and Liberland’s facebook page, Jedlička was recently detained when trying to enter the two-month old state. Even though the 7 sq km was formerly a terra nullius, no-man’s-land, neither of the bordering countries are willing to let anyone in, including the president. Jedlička previously tried to enter Liberland by boat from Serbia, and was returned to the Serbian coast by guards.

Becoming A Part

It isn’t difficult to apply for citizenship. The qualifications required, listed on the official websited, are

• have respect for other people and respect the opinions of others, regardless of their race, ethnicity, orientation, or religion
• have respect for private ownership which is untouchable
• do not have communist, nazi or other extremist past
• were not punished for past criminal offenses

If you meet these qualifications and are interested in a place where taxes are voluntary and a military is nonexistent, you can fill out and submit an application electronically.

Liberland is currently accepting donations to help get the country off the ground, including Bitcoin.

News and Updates.

If you are interested in more Liberland content see our post on the Petition To Establish U.S. Diplomatic Relations With Liberland.

The President of Liberland recently visited the US and made a pit-stop at Freedom Fest 2015. Follow My Vote Founder and CEO, Adam Ernest was able to meet with President Jedlička at Freedom Fest.

Check out the picture above and the video below, which are both from the event, and make sure to see our post on Freedom Fest 2015 for the full coverage of the conference and Liberland interaction.

About the Author: Maggie Vaillant is a content creator and editor for Follow My Vote. She is committed to making as much information available to the world about the world as possible.

The post The Beginning Of Liberland appeared first on Follow My Vote.

Birgitta Jonsdottir, who was previously a member of Iceland’s Parliament for the Citizen’s Movement, helped found the Party in the wake of Iceland’s financial crisis. According to the same “The Independent” article, Ms Jonsdottir said, “To be completely honest, I don’t know why we enjoy so much trust, we are all just as surprised, thankful and take this as a sign of mistrust towards conventional politics.”

The party campaigns for internet and data freedom, as it was partially formed by several prominent internet activists, including Smari McCarthy. The party exists in over 60 countries.

In 2013, the party won three seats in Iceland’s parliamentary elections and they have also been using their European Parliament seats to pressurize the European Union into changing copyright laws. In two months the party nearly doubled in popularity. According to RT, even though the Pirate Party has the smallest faction in the national parliarment, it is currently almost as popular as the two most powerful parties, the Independent Party and the Progressive Party. According to an opinion poll cited in the article, “the Pirate Party would score 30.1 percent of votes if elections were held today.” From the same poll by Icelandic market research company MMR, the ruling Independence Party had fallen from 25.5 per cent to 23.4 per cent.

“People are starting to realize that the whole system is corrupt, not just a few politicians,” Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson, Pirate Party’s chair and one of its three MPs told Vísir news website in March. “They don‘t trust it at all. I think they appreciate it when someone points this out.”

In the US, the Pirate Party, whose chapter was formed in 2006, aligns its goals with the International Pirate Movement. It has eight main values, including transparent government, individual privacy, egalitarianism, and an individual-over-institution mindset. In reference to their name, their site states, “For our rejection of authority and profit-seeking when it does not serve the common good of all people, we have been called “pirates”. We reclaim this label of “pirate” and abjure its derogatory, incendiary implication. We are Pirates. We stand for the liberty, equality, and solidarity of all human beings, and against all threats they may face.”

Follow My Vote is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to bringing light and transparency to the world of politics. With the Pirate Party, who campaigns for those same values, gaining ground in countries all over the world, including the US, clearly the world of politics is experiencing a movement in that same direction.

The post The Icelandic Pirate Party Plunders Popularity appeared first on Follow My Vote.