Benoît Hamon spreads the word in Brussels

French socialist is pushing for a eurozone parliamentary assembly.

Benoît Hamon, the socialist candidate for the French presidency, was in Brussels Tuesday trying to pitch his EU program, which includes a parliamentary assembly for the eurozone.

Hamon held talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and fellow French socialist Pierre Moscovici, the commissioner for economic and financial affairs.

“I had a great and useful time with Benoit Hamon,” Moscovici told reporters after the talks on Hamon’s plans for France should be become president (of which polls say he has little to no chance).

Hamon’s wish list — drafted with left-leaning French economist Thomas Piketty — include a parliamentary assembly for the eurozone of around 400 MPs and MEPs that would draft legislation on economic and social reforms along with greater tax harmonization between euro area countries.

“What we are suffering now in Europe is this feeling that decisions regarding our citizens are taken in closed doors meetings without any democratic accountability,” said Hamon.

“Europe is France’s future and we need a France to drive proposals in France,” said Moscovici, another long-time supporter of eurozone reforms. Moscovici said Hamon is so far the only French presidential hopeful who has visited Brussels to discuss his manifesto.

However, AFP reported in March that Moscovici had written to Hamon saying his proposals would never be approved by other EU partners.

He was due to address a rally in Brussels on Tuesday evening. A Hamon campaign staffer said the socialist hopeful will Martin Schulz in Berlin on March 28.