Quick Facts
Biography
Vít Jedlička (Czech pronunciation: [ˈviːt ˈjɛdlɪtʃka]; born 6 September 1983) is a Czech politician, publicist and activist.
He was the chairman of the Party of Free Citizens in the Hradec Králové Region, and he is the founder and chairman of a Czech voluntary association Reformy.cz. On 13 April 2015, he founded the self-declared libertarian micronation Free Republic of Liberland, and was immediately elected its first President, with two yes votes and zero no votes.
Education
In 2008, he received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Affairs from University of Economics, Prague.
Background
His working career ranges from sales and management to financial analysis and IT. From 2009 to 2009, he was the managing director of KHfree.net, a civic network and internet service in his hometown of Hradec Králové. From 2009 to 2014, Jedlička was the regional chairman of the Party of Free Citizens. In 2011, he co-founded Reformy.cz, a community news service of libertarian roots, and became its chairman. Jedlička is a patron of Young Britons for Liberty.
Politics
From 2001, Vít Jedlička was a member of Civic Democratic Party. Since 2009 he has been a member of the Free Citizens Party. In 2009 he was elected the first regional president in Hradec Králové Region of the Free Citizens Party.
Views
Jedlička considers himself as libertarian with liberal views on individual freedom and the least state intrusion possible. A Property and Freedom Society attendee in 2015, his views are similar to that of American politician Ron Paul. He has described himself as a Bastiat-influenced anarcho-capitalist in a podcast. Jedlička is a eurosceptic and points to the huge difference between a free market and an internal market. He has also sought to raise awareness of the democratic deficit in the institution of the EU and of the abuse of basic moral rules by EU institutions and EU member states. Jedlička described the European Stability Mechanism as a protectorate.
Socialism is the false belief that the state will spend your money better than you would.
— Vít Jedlička
Liberland
On 13 April 2015, Vít Jedlička proclaimed the Free Republic of Liberland on an unclaimed (terra nullis) land lot known as "Gornja Siga" between Serbia and Croatia, and became Liberland's first president.