This New Libertarian Micronation Might Just Be Crazy Enough to WorkJoshua Krause It started a little bit like a protest. But now its really turning out to be a real project with real support. This proposed nation, which has since dubbed Liberland, would be situated along the border of Croatia and Serbia, and is less than 3 square miles in size. Taxes would be voluntary, and there would be no military. He is hoping to draft a constitution that would be inspired by the Swiss government. Just about anyone can apply for citizenship, so long as they dont have any Nazi, Communist, or otherwise extremist past. However, its hard to imagine success for this project. Hundreds of micronations have been founded in recent years, and none have ever gained any significant recognition from the international community. In many cases, their citizens are either removed or arrested by their government, or are simply ignored. But the nation of Liberland has one thing going for it, and that is the violent past of the Croatian and Serbian nations. The area that he is claiming is not an ordinary piece of land. It is a disputed territory for these nations. If either government tries to intervene, they will raise the ire of the other, and potentially ignite the kind of war that these Balkan nations were famous for when Yugoslavia fell apart in the early 90s. Since both governments are in the process of applying for full-fledged EU membership, its unlikely that they would risk their applications with a war. And there is actually some historical precedent for this. Whenever there is a border dispute between two nations, it creates a vacuum where people can build an informal enclave within the territory. The greatest example of this in the 20th century, is the Kowloon Walled City, which was built by criminals, refugees, and squatters on a 6.4 acre piece of land after World War Two. Because the territory was disputed between China and British ruled Hong Kong, it existed in a kind of political limbo for several decades. Since neither party was willing to start a conflagration over such a trivial piece of land, they left it alone. As time went on and more people moved there (33,000 at its peak), it became ever more expensive to remove these people and their improvised buildings, so neither country was willing to intervene. Another reason why this might succeed, is that Jedlika has made it clear that hes not going to rock the boat for either government that is claiming ownership of this land. By not creating a military and claiming that he would only put up a passive resistance against any intervention, he has created a situation where it would be more trouble than its worth to eliminate his fledgling nation. Because this proposed nation poses no physical threat to its neighbors, and because any intervention could start a war that neither government wants, there isnt a whole lot they can do. If at some point in the future, Serbia and Croatia become full-fledged members of the EU, then theyll be in the position to eliminate the nation without starting a war. But if several thousand people move there and create a legitimate government before that happens, then itll be too late for them to stop it. This may be difficult for most Americans to believe since weve grown accustomed to living under such an aggressive government. If someone tried to create a libertarian enclave in America, its safe to assume that the US government would be quick to eliminate it with extreme prejudice. But thats not necessarily true in Europe, especially for two governments that are applying for EU membership. There is actually another precedent here, in the form of a little-known region called Freetown Christiania, situated in the Danish city of Copenhagen. This autonomous community was formed by squatters and anarchists in an abandoned military base in the early 70s. Despite the best efforts of the government to remove them, theyre still around. And while theyve never gained international recognition, for all practical purposes theyve managed to maintain an independent community. If a European nation like Denmark isnt willing to use excessive force to remove this community, and if Serbia and Croatia want to join the likes of Denmark, will they be able to stop this nation? So what do you think? Will this project succeed in creating the first libertarian based nation, or is such an idea too intolerable for any government to allow along their border? Joshua Krause is a reporter, writer and researcher at The Daily Sheeple, where this first appeared. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and is a freelance writer and author. You can follow Joshuas reports at Facebook or on his personal Twitter. Joshuas website is Strange Danger. 