Una región, una forma de participación en la Unión Europea: La estrategia alsaciana de influencia en Bruselas

The aim of this paper is to explain the way in which Alsace, an administrative region belonging to a traditionally centralist unitary State like France, attempts to defend its interests concerning decisions by the European Union .In addition to analysis of primary and secondary sources, personal interview shave been conducted with members of the Alsatian political elite responsible for European affairs during a research visit to the region in February 2007.The most significant factor is the focus of the strategy of Alsatian influence in Brussels on access to key persons, something that is enabled by the dense social capital this region features.