Liberland is a small nation next to the Danube river, in a pocket between Serbia and Croatia, and not far from Hungary. The Judge 13 had a chance to meet up with the country’s president.

TJ13: Liberland. It is not a well-known country.

VJ: That is quite normal. We declared ourselves the nation only in April 2015.

TJ13: So it is a new country?

VJ: Yes, we claimed the land for our nation, since it was neither claimed by Serbia nor Croatia. We have been pushing for international publicity since the beginning to make our country better known.

TJ13: hosting a Formula 1 race would do just that trick?

VJ: Racing cars is not our priority, as you might imagine. International recognition and building an infrastructure are our first priorities. However, I am an F1 enthusiast.

TJ13: What do you like about F1?

VJ: The speed, the sound, the technique, there is that, but also the image of progression, pushing boundaries, making the impossible come true. It also has the raw competitiveness of sport, and the glamour of worldwide admiration and visibility. In that sense it mirrors much of what we would like to accomplish as Liberland.

TJ13: So a future hosting of an F1 race is not something you would rule out?

VJ: Again, it would be much to early to even start thinking about these things. However, if I were allowed to dream about it, I would see a race-track through Serbia, Croatia and Liberland. It would symbolize cooperation between our countries and represent the wish to push forward. It would show the enormous possibilities that our region provides. From that perspective F1 could bring a lot.

TJ13: What is your favorite team and your favorite driver?

VJ: I must admit that I usually root for a smaller team. They don’t have enormous budgets, they might not win often, but they have this great motivation to race. These teams add color to the field.

TJ13: If you were in a position to change F1, what would you do?

VJ: that would be impossible to answer. F1 has provided a grand show for a long time. I am sure the people in charge will keep F1 interesting to watch.

TJ13: thank you for your time

VJ: you are welcome!

General information on Liberland:

Free Republic of Liberland is a sovereign state located between Croatia and Serbia on the west bank of the Danube river.

Liberland came into existence due to a border dispute between Croatia and Serbia. This area along the west bank of the Danube river is not claimed by Croatia, Serbia or any other country. It was therefore terra nullius, a no man’s land, until Vít Jedlička seized the opportunity and on 13 April 2015 formed a new state in this territory – Liberland. The boundary was defined so as not to interfere with the territory of Croatia or Serbia. Its total area of approximately 7 km² is now the third smallest sovereign state, after the Vatican and Monaco.

The motto of Liberland is “To live and let live” because Liberland prides itself on personal and economic freedom of its people, which is guaranteed by the Constitution, which significantly limits the power of politicians so they could not interfere too much in the freedoms of the Liberland nation.

More information can be found on Liberland’s web site