# Liberland - A brand new country in Europe! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 16, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838 "2015-04-16T16:04:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/1 "2015-04-16T16:04:58Z")
In case you missed this important international development, last Monday saw the birth of a new country in Europe: The Republic of Liberland! The BBC has extensive coverage [1], there is a Wikipedia article [2] and Liberland does of course, like every legit country, have it’s own website [3] and Facebook page [4]. Liberland also has a capital called Liberpolis which, as of now, appears to consist of a wooden hut [5], but Rome wasn’t built in a day either. [1] [Balkans: Czech man claims to establish 'new state' - BBC News](http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-32332473) [2] [Liberland - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberland) [3] [Free Republic of Liberland](http://liberland.org/en/main/) [4] [Liberland](https://www.facebook.com/liberland) [5] [Liberland - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberland#/media/File:Liberpolis_-_April_15,_2015.png) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/2 "2015-04-16T18:01:59Z")
Grand Fenwick Lives! or maybe Genovia… ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/3 "2015-04-16T18:14:19Z")
Liberland? I know there will be a libtard joke somewhere in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/4 "2015-04-16T18:16:21Z")
Astonishingly reasonable, based on the information on the Wikipedia. Genuinely unclaimed territory, reasonable aspirations, and a motto, “Live and let live.” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/5 "2015-04-16T18:21:47Z")
What’s their beer, and what’s their airline? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/6 "2015-04-16T18:31:42Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Grand Fenwick Lives! > or maybe Genovia… If Grand Fenwick actually existed I’d move there, at least for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/7 "2015-04-16T18:38:48Z")
It’s over twice the size of Monaco, so they should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/8 "2015-04-16T18:39:31Z")
> [@bump](#): > > What’s their beer, and what’s their airline? I suggest a beer garden as their only ground-based business, and a zeppelin dock. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/9 "2015-04-16T19:25:09Z")
From Wikipedia: “The goal of the state is to create a society where righteous people can prosper without inefficient state regulations and taxes.” “…According to the official website, only communists, Neo-Nazis and extremists are ineligible for citizenship.” “The politicians will be constitutionally forbidden from indebting the nation.” ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/10 "2015-04-16T19:32:51Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > “…According to the official website, only **communists** , Neo-Nazis and extremists are ineligible for citizenship.” (bolding mine) There seems to be trouble on the horizon. The Communist Party of Liberland (CPL) has already been founded: > **[Log into Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/100067720176713/)** > > Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/11 "2015-04-17T03:51:17Z")
Who collects the garbage? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/12 "2015-04-17T12:08:42Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > “The goal of the state is to create a society where righteous people can prosper without inefficient state regulations and taxes.” > > “The politicians will be constitutionally forbidden from indebting the nation.” Ah. I can see their economic policy is “blatant stupidity”, which might actually be troubling were this place to ever become relevant to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/13 "2015-04-17T12:14:09Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > From Wikipedia: > > “The goal of the state is to create a society where righteous people can prosper without inefficient state regulations and taxes.” > > “…According to the official website, only communists, Neo-Nazis and extremists are ineligible for citizenship.” > > “The politicians will be constitutionally forbidden from indebting the nation.” They need definitions for **righteous** , **inefficient** , **extremists** and this constitution they mention. Other than that, they’re good to go. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/14 "2015-04-17T12:19:08Z")
Up till right now, I’d never seriously considered becoming a Communist Neo-Nazi extremist. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/15 "2015-04-17T13:04:47Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Ah. I can see their economic policy is “blatant stupidity”, which might actually be troubling were this place to ever become relevant to anyone. Yeah, but what are the odds of that? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/16 "2015-04-17T13:04:52Z")
They have the worst flag, holy moly. If you’re going to start a new country, for God’s sake, at least design a decent flag. It’s got at least eight colors and a central design element that looks like a child’s coloring sheet. If they can’t get the flag right screw them. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/17 "2015-04-17T13:18:52Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Who collects the garbage? The vice president. ---
**Author:** ![Celan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Celan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/18 "2015-04-17T14:44:40Z")
I thought when I first heard this it must be one of those BBC April Fool’s jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/19 "2015-04-17T15:07:05Z")
According to their Facebook page, the president has met with the Austrian ambassador and is going to meet with “representatives of the OECD” today. I don’t know if those are substantive meetings or just “have your photo taken with a politician” kinds of things. I’m interested to see how this turns out. I like mocking libertarians as much as the next guy, but if Liberland can get going and show libertarian principles in action, it could be a learning opportunity. I mean that snark-free. If the claim that this was no-man’s land holds up, and a random guy can get his own country off the ground, more power to him. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838/20 "2015-04-17T15:24:12Z")
As the wikipedia article makes clear, there are actually quite a few of these “micronations” around. Indeed, I heard a report on them just last week on NPR’s _All Things Considered_–there was some kind of conference of the “heads of state” of various micronations in California. Audie Cornish interviewed Kevin Baugh, the President of the [Republic of Molossia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Molossia). Not all of them are exercises in libertarianism. Some of them are just for fun, some are experiments in political or social science, some of them are efforts to study how nations start and how a particular group of people become “a nation.” Some exist only online, and don’t even have a physical presence. Interesting, if weird. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberland-a-brand-new-country-in-europe/717838.md?page=2)