The troubling transformation of the EU

Several leading European politicians, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have recently spoken on the need to pursue an ambitious EU reform agenda. Hans Kundnani writes that the EU has already undergone a substantial transformation over the last decade, but that the trajectory of these changes should give cause for concern. He identifies the shift toward a more 'German Europe', the the EU adopting an increasingly coercive system of rules and enforcement for its members, and a rigid focus on ‘competitiveness’ by EU leaders as particularly troubling developments

The return of the German question: why conflict between creditor and debtor states is now the defining feature of European politics

One of the key geopolitical issues in Europe prior to the Second World War was how the power of Germany could be effectively balanced by other European states. Hans Kundnani assesses the relevance of these historical debates to the current situation within Europe in the aftermath of the Eurozone crisis. He argues that while Germany is no longer a threat from a military perspective, its economic power has put intolerable pressures on other members of the Eurozone, generating instability in much the same way as its previous military power once did. This instability is now centred around the standoff between creditor and debtor countries, underlined by the victory of Syriza in the Greek parliamentary elections, and potential future electoral success for parties such as Podemos in Spain

Europe's strategic dilemmas

O lento progresso no domínio da cooperação militar reflete um problema mais profundo: a ausência de uma cultura estratégica europeia partilhada. Paralelamente, a presença de constrangimentos em matéria de recursos imprime à Europa uma maior urgência para cooperar. Na última década, o ambiente no qual a Europa opera mudou radicalmente – mudança esta que a Europa não conseguiu acompanhar. A evolução dos acontecimentos veio comprometer os pressupostos nos quais a Estratégia Europeia de Segurança, acordada em 2003, se baseou. Os europeus carecem de uma nova estratégia global, necessitando de fazer escolhas sobre o nível a que pretendem influenciar e como. Uma ilustração da tendência europeia para evitar realizar escolhas complexas reside no conceito de “parcerias estratégicas” – o quadro europeu de referência conceptual de relacionamento com potências líderes no século XXI. Se algo resta da aspiração da UE para se afirmar como “potência normativa” este conceito deve refletir uma distinção de política externa entre democracias e não-democracias

Enough of the hegemony: why Germany really wants the UK to stay in the EU

A European Union without Britain would make Germany even more dominant – but that is not necessarily what Angela Merkel wants, as Hans Kundnani explains. Other member states already resent German hegemony and the pressure on the Chancellor to solve the migrant crisis would only increase

The end of tolerance: new discourses of racism, migration and the state in Britain, 1997-2008

This submission - one self-authored book and six refereed journal articles - constitutes a study of new racialised policy and media discourses that have emerged between 1997 and 2008 around the themes of community cohesion, managed migration and Britishness. It is argued that these discourses mark a new era in British 'race relations', breaking with an earlier consensus that had been forged in the late 1960s. As part of this discursive shift, an older notion of 'integration' as social, economic and political inclusion, to be effected by anti-discrimination legislation, multicultural tolerance and political representation, gave way to a new notion of'integration' defined as the adoption of 'British values', to be effected by oaths of allegiance, citizenship tests and various other techniques for reshaping the cultures and values of minority communities, particularly Muslims. Alongside this redefinition of integration was a shift in the central axis of 'race relations' from white-black to western-Muslim, and from a view of minority cultural identity as a stabilising force to one in which it was seen as threatening and needing clear limits placed on it. As well as resulting in new forms of racism against Muslims and asylum seekers, this shift has also gone hand in hand with new apparatuses of policing directed at these groups. Following a theoretical approach drawn from the work of A. Sivanandan, this political and social transition is analysed in the context of linked changes in global political economy and the resulting neoliberal transformation of the state, in particular through the politics of New Labour. Critical discourse analysis, semi-structured interviews and participant observation are the methods used to describe and analyse these new discourses of racism, migration and the state, and their interaction with the experiences of various racialised groups

Revealing the therapeutic potential of teriparatide: a review

Teriparatide is an FDA-approved medication for osteoporosis that presents promising results in treating various musculoskeletal conditions. It helps in improving the bone mineral density and preventing fractures in individuals with osteoporosis. Its effectiveness in treating non-union and delayed union fractures, atypical femoral fractures, and spinal fusion procedures makes it valuable in improving bone healing and reducing complications. Teriparatide also improves bone density and strength in individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta, helps prevent and treat hypocalcaemia post-thyroidectomy, and helps in the management of hypoparathyroidism. In MRONJ, teriparatide improves lesion resolution and reduces bony defects. Furthermore, it potentially prevents bone metastasis in cancer patients without stimulating tumour growth. Nevertheless, teriparatide may cause short-term side effects like nausea and long-term concerns pertaining to the risk of osteosarcoma. Recent European alliance of associations for rheumatology guidelines have highlighted teriparatide's superior effectiveness in achieving bone mineral density thresholds and reducing fracture risks. Further clinical trials are necessary to determine optimal dosages and treatment durations of teriparatide. The off-label use of teriparatide should be considered only under the guidance of a healthcare professional when standard options are unavailable or inadequate

Den Europæiske union under forandring

Valget til Europa-Parlamentet står for døren. Her med en tale afholdt af Hans Kundnani som er research director ved European Council. Talen blev afholdt 31. marts 2014 på en EU-koference i København.&nbsp

Ossification of yellow ligament-lesser known common cause of thoracic myelopathy in Indian subcontinent treated surgically

Background: To undertake a study which outlines the clinical and radiological features of ossification of yellow ligament (OYL) causing thoracic myelopathy (TM) in Indian subcontinent, to assess the outcomes of surgical resection of yellow ligament and compare different preoperative factors that contribute to be a risk factor in the overall post-surgical recovery rates (RR). Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from a cohort of 45 patients who visited our spine OPD from January 2012 to December 2019 who underwent surgical decompression for TM due to OYL was studied. The surgical outcomes and RR were calculated, compared and pre operative risk factors which could possibly be involved in giving poorer RR were analysed. Results: Our study included 45 patients who underwent surgical resection of OYL for TM. On comparison of post operative improvement in myelopathic symptoms, pre-operative mJOA score of 4.56 had increased significantly to 7.83 at 2 years follow up. While the majority (80%) of patients had an excellent and good recovery rate while 16% of patients had a fair recovery rate and 4% had no change at all in comparison to pre-operative mJOA scores. Preoperative risk factors for poor outcomes were also analysed. Conclusions: Early and timely before the onset or progression of any neurologic involvement. The pre operative risk factors which could give guarded prognosis and lower RR are, the presence of intramedullary signal changes (myelomalacia), >6-10 months of progressive pre operative symptoms and an mJOA<5