ABSTRACT
All the Nordic countries and the Baltic States are democracies. This has not always been the case—not even in history. The Baltics were part of a totalitarian regime from the Second World War until 1991, when the Soviet Union fell apart. Albert O. Hirschman's 1970 classic Exit, Voice and Loyalty may provide a framework to explain the behaviour of the Baltic people in the post-Soviet period, and, specifically, following the global economic crisis. In fact, with regional and global challenges it would seem rational for the Baltic people to seek more local unity and to strengthen themselves within their borders, in order to be better prepared for outside challenges. Unlike in the Soviet Union, when their borders were closed, exit or outward migration has become a serious challenge in the post-crisis Baltic States. None of the Baltic States have managed to regain their pre-crisis employment levels in spite of large outbound migration and shrinking populations.
