Eduardo Daniele

Eduardo Daniele
Gonfalonier of the Republic of Verraland Gonfaloniere della Repubblica del Verraland
Gonfalon of the Republic of Verraland
Gonfalonier of Verraland
Reign	February 25, 2024 – present
Born	Edward Daniels September 11, 2001 (age 22) Long Island, New York, U.S.
Noble family	Daniele
Guild	Gonfalonieri
Nationality	American
Citizenship	Verraland Atovia
Occupations	Student, tutor, micronational statesman, and micropatriologist
Years active	2015—2020 • 2024—
Signature

Edward Daniels, often known by the Italianized version of his name, Eduardo Daniele, is a micronationalist statesman, politician, and self-proclaimed micropatriologist from Verraland.

Daniels began his career as a micronationalist in late 2015, expressing curiosity upon discovering the Republic of Molossia and the Principality of Sealand. This would lead to further intrigue in the notion of micronationalism, eventually discovering MicroWiki and the Forums respectively. Daniels would go on to lead a handful of personal micronations in his career, often devolving and morphing into entirely new entities. It would not be until 2016 when Daniels established the Grand Principality of Custosia, that his micronational career would become more interactive. After three monarchical incarnations, experimenting with republicanism and eventually becoming a fief of the Thegn-Hold of Siar Fordell, the Custosian project eventually became defunct.

In 2018, Daniels renewed his personal interest in statesmanship, founding the Federated States of Transterra, largely regarded as Dalton's most successful micronationalist project. However, due to academic stress and inactivity, Trasnterra would eventually be absorbed into the Kingdom of Atovia in April 2019 as Verraland-Sylvana. After further external stress and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniels would abscond from micronationalism entirely in June 2020.

Daniels had previously served a prominent role in the Abeldane Empire as Vorsitzender from April 1, 2019 to April 1, 2020. He has also served as the inaugural Chancellor of Atovia from October 13, 2018 to July 8, 2020.

On November 11, 2023, Daniels returned micronationalism, renewing his citizenship and title in the Kingdom of Atovia. On February 25, 2024, Daniels declared himself "Eduardo Daniele," the first Gonfalonier of the Republic of Verraland, during the founding proclamation that established the republic.

Verraland is the most recent iteration of Daniele's micronational projects.

Micronational endeavors

Early career

Recreation of the original Edwardian flag

In late 2015, Dalton watched Tiny Spark and the six-part documentary comedy, How to Start Your Own Country. Dalton claims these two documentaries as crucial for understanding and inspiring his own micronational endeavors. On September 20, 2015, Dalton founded his first micronation, the Kingdom of Edwardia. The early micronation was founded as an absolute monarchy, claiming sovereignty over his home as Edwardian land. Around this time, Dalton shared his knowledge of micronationalism and his personal micronational pursuits with his school friends in a discussion dubbed, the "Workbench Conference". Enamored by the idea of micronationalism, two of his friends would go on to establish micronations of their own; the Kingdom of Cydonia, named after the song Knights of Cydonia by the English band Muse and the Democracy of the Long Isle, named after Long Island, New York.

On October 29, 2015, Dalton ceded the land claimed by Edwardia over to the Democracy of Long Isle for reasons unbeknownst at the time and to this day. This period in Dalton's personal micronational career is often referred to as the "Disarray Era", following many micronational incarnations. Of the micronations created, the Vlastist State of Luktonia stands out the most for its early achievements. The Vlastist ideology, regarded as a fusion of Fascism and Communism, was more or less "tongue-and-cheek" and not at all representative of either ideology. The Vlastist State was most successful for its experimentation with model rocketry. The first rocket launched, dubbed "Ayris I", successfully launched in late May–June 2016. Around that same time, the Vlastist State would be dissolved.

Custosia

See: Kingdom of Custosia

Flag of the Third Kingdom, 2017

On July 16, 2016, Dalton returned to his micronational endeavors and established the Grand Principality of Custosia. A glimpse at potential stability, Custosia itself had some minor success in its lifespan. Following even more influence on the forums, the Grand Principality would eventually evolve into a Kingdom after acquiring more land. Following unstable reforms in Custosia, the first incarnation named the First Kingdom would collapse on October 7.

Royal portrait of King Edward I under the Third Kingdom

Dalton, then inspired by republican ideas, established the Republic of New Custosia. The transition from an absolute monarchy to a democracy proved to be challenging for Dalton at the time. Unable to attract new citizens, the Dalton's vision for a republic began to crack at the seams. Attempts were made to prevent New Custosia's collapse on December 30, 2016. Unfortunately, these attempts were futile and the Republic ceased to exist.

Faced with the collapse of the Frist Kingdom and the Republic, Dalton set out to restore the Custosian monarchy. Thus, the Second Kingdom of Custosia was established. Believing that the Grand Unified Micronational would be crucial for Custosia's stability, Dalton applied for membership. Unfortunately, the Second Kingdom's membership was turned down by the Quorum of Delegates which eventually lead to the collapse of the Second Kingdom out of sheer humiliation.

On February 20, 2017, Dalton reached out to the Thegn of Siar Fordell, Ser John Marshall, who offered Custosia fiefdom status in the Thegn-Hold of Siar Fordell. A treaty was signed between the two parties officially establishing the Fiefdom of Custosia. Dalton, now a Lord under the Fiefdom, was able to maintain a stable Custosian state. On April 23, 2017, Dalton declared independence from Siar Fordell, establishing the final incarnation of Custosia, the Third Kingdom.

Following independence from Siar Fordell, the Third Kingdom of Custosia was re-established as an absolute monarchy. Following minor reforms, Dalton adopted a constitutional system and called for elections. Following a line of inactivity, the Third Kingdom eventually collapsed, closing the Custosian micronational project.

Abeldane career

Early career

Flag of the Abeldane Empire

Edward Daniels began his political career in the Abeldane Empire following the December 2017 federal election, elected as an MP for the United Rhinoceros Party in the Reichsversammlung, the Parliament of the Abeldane Empire. He was an attending member of the Shiro ministry as the Imperial Press Secretary. In the April 2018 federal election, Daniels briefly retired from Abeldane politics. By the June 2018 federal election, Daniels returned to the Reichsversammlung, elected as a member of Die Rechte, later renamed the Abeldane National Union and colloquially referred to as the Populares. Returning to a cabinet position under the First Freayth ministry, Daniels was appointed as the Minister of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Daniels would switch parties again by the September 2018 federal election, elected as a member of Liberty Union and as Stellvertreter, defeating the incumbent Maxwell Pollack. In the Second Freayth ministry, Daniels also served as Ministry of State and Reichsregierungskabinett Affairs. As Daniels' career ascended, he gradually took interest in becoming Vorsitzender, a wish he had since his career in Abeldane politics began in late 2017.

Daniels, initially nominated as Stellvertreter, was nominated for the Vorsitzendership by Liberty Union in the upcoming December 2018 federal election. The fifth opinion poll released by L'Sydunche, Abelden's official online newspaper, on November 22, 2018, had Daniels at a comfortable 52.9%, securing a 5.8% lead over his opponents, compared to previous polling had Daniels relatively tied or within the margin of error vis-à-vis his opponents. By November 28, 2018, Daniels had dropped to 11.8% in the polls, down 41.1% from his initial lead. Daniels would eventually withdraw from the race after his performance in opinion polls proved unfavorable. Daniels was elected to the Reichsversammlung in the December 2018 election.

In early 2019, Daniels would form his own political party, Liberty Front, as a spiritual successor to Liberty Union after its demise early that same year. Under the newly formed Kârjasary ministry, Daniels would serve as Attorney General of Abelden, his longest serving cabinet position, from January 7 to April 1, 2019.

Vorsitzendership (2019-2020)

Flag of the Vorsitzender

Following the reforms in 2018, the term lengths for the Vorsitzender and Stellvertreter were extended from four months to six months. Elections for the executive and legislative branches were staggered, with elections held every three months, alternating between the two branches. Although the initial plan was to implement this staggering in December 2018, it was postponed to 2019 to allow for a fresh start. As a result, Tarik Kârjasary and Nicholas Kaos were set to serve only three-month terms, while their Reichsversammlung counterparts were to serve six-month terms. It was also decided that the executive elections would be held first to allow for a full six-month term for the Reichsversammlung. Emperor Newton called for the election writs on March 8, 2019, and scheduled all federal elections to take place from the last consecutive Thursday to Sunday of each month. Those elected would begin their terms at the start of the following month. By the March 2019 executive election, Daniels would be elected Vorsitzender for Liberty Front in March 2019. His term set a new record at 366 days, following re-election in the September 2019 executive election, surpassing the previous longest term held by former Vorsitzender Llweyln Lawton. Daniels' administration became notable for its radical decentralization reforms and its focus on increasing state activity. This period saw the successful politicization of Morgannwg and Tusmore, as well as the reoccupation of the previously defunct Alexander and Rai governments.

Daniels' Vorsitzendership was also marked by the Behemothgate scandal, where espionage accusations led to the expulsion of several prominent Behemoth Party members and a subsequent mass exodus of the party's members from Abelden. This period witnessed the rise of the Party of Royalists and Cooperatism as the second-largest party in the empire, while the Abeldane Social Ecology and Liberty Front parties declined to minor status. Additionally, the establishment of six state parties as part of the effects of decentralization, contributed to a lasting legacy of political diversity within the Empire.

Daniels has claimed that in private correspondence with Stephen Freayth, one of the three designated, both constitutionally and de facto founders of Abelden, as well as the former Emperor of the Abeldane Empire, that he was the best Vorsitzender in Abeldane history.

Daniels, upon completing his one year term, sarcastically joked, "what now?"

Atovian career

Chancellorship (2018-2020)

Flag of the Kingdom of Atovia

Daniels' initial political career was largely linked to Daniel's friendship with Connor I, given the latter's participation in early the constitutional developments of the Federated States of Transterra. Daniel's was elected the first Chancellor of Atovia in 2018 as a Libertarian, first assuming the office on October 13, 2018. In early April 2019, Daniels, serving duly as the president of the Federated States of Transterra, announced his intention to merge Transterra with Atovia due to his increasing workload as a high school student. Both parties agreed to the merger, which was formalized with a treaty and took effect on April 23, 2019. This merger had several significant impacts. Firstly, the Kingdom of Atovia gained control over all the federal states of Transterra, which became provinces within Atovia. These states included Verraland, Judesberg, Sylvana, and Tuskawanta. Secondly, all Transterrian citizens were assured the right to Atovian citizenship upon completing the standard application process.

After Transterra was assimilated into Atovia on April 23, 2019, the treaty included a provision that reclassified Transterra's federal states as Atovian provinces. Due to limited citizenship and shared land ownership in Verraland and Sylvana, these two provinces were merged and have been governed as one since June 27, 2019. On December 16, 2019, the province of Tuskawanta was dissolved and its land was ceded to Verraland-Sylvana, prompted by the low number of citizens. By March 21, 2020, Daniels switched parties, forming the Atovian Solidarity Party.