This paper addresses Small States in the Baltic Sea region against the background of processes of debordering, denationalisation and deterritorialisation. The disintegration of the Soviet Union and processes of globalisation have challenged the mainly state-based world by postmodern tendencies which seemed to be accompanied by a blurring of the traditional territorial order. The changing environment of states and borders sparked the interest of IR and the 1990s paid great attention to the interrelations between territoriality, power and sovereignty. New states entered the international arena and a particular interest in other actors (transnational actors and arrangements) beside the state emerged to which IR testified an increasing role. Additionally, the interest in other phenomena beyond the state level (transnational) gained ground and the role of hitherto marginalized actors, namely Small States, changed. The end of strict division of labour between small and large states after the Cold War modified the possibilities of small powers to increase their manoeuvrability in International Politics. The paper asks how processes of debordering do account for specific challenges for Small States in the Baltic Sea Region and how these states have faced the challenges. Firstly, the paper draws attention to identifying processes of debordering in a regional and Small State context. Secondly, the paper asks if Small States find specific strategies to face the increasing processes of debordering that challenge the territorial state as such. It is, thirdly, assumed that these processes undermine the explanatory power of categories such as size and power and it therefore asked if Small States even gain flexibility due to this.
