Owen Jones visited the CCCB to speak about the situation of social injustice that has been imposed on European citizens and strategies that should make it possible to rectify matters.

On 5 May the young British journalist and writer Owen Jones gave the third lecture in the cycle “The Idea of Europe”, held at the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB). He was presented by the political scientist and communications director of the publication Jot Down, Carles A. Foguet.

Jones began on a forceful note by presenting his audience with a question: "how is it possible that wealth and power have come to be concentrated in so few hands in democracies where virtually all adults have the right to vote?" He then pointed out that these few power holders "have been quick to take advantage of the global financial crisis in order to buttress the neoliberal project and channel even more wealth and power in the direction of the economic elite". After a giving a survey of the historical events that have brought about a situation where the social and economic rights achieved by our forebears are being snatched away and, "in OXFAM’s estimation, twenty-five million more Europeans will be living below the poverty line by 2025, he appealed for unity among Europeans" "because we are all facing similar attacks but we are not coordinated, which is a deplorable situation". He spoke of "the need to focus people’s anger towards the powerful, towards those who have caused the financial crisis", and to look again at the historical record in order to recall that all "social gains and rights were won, not because of the good will of those at the top but because of the sacrifices made by those at the bottom".