MADRID (AFP) -- Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told AFP that he backed French presidential candidate Segolene Royal and underlined the polls' importance for plans to revamp the European Union.

"As is natural, I feel a great political empathy with the socialist candidate," Zapatero, who leads his country's socialist party, said in written answers to questions on the French campaign.

"I like her programme and I think her predisposition to listen is exemplary," he said.

"In addition, it seems decisive that a woman is for the first time in a position to reach the French presidency," added Zapatero, who has made gender equality a hallmark of his liberal-minded government that took power in 2004.

"It supposes a very important step ahead to improve the condition of women in the entire world and it would contribute to an image of renovation which could be very important for France and for all of Europe," he said.

The Spanish prime minister said Europe would be keenly following the French elections as their outcome would have a great impact on the European Union's attempts to revive a constitution project.

"Europe needs France to continue advancing with its project and it is logical that there exist great expectations in the entire European Union over these elections, which come at an especially relevant moment for the European project," he said.

The first round of voting in the French polls will be held on April 22 with the all-important two-way run-off on May 6.

The French election comes as the 27-nation EU is trying to revive stalled talks over a proposed constitution which would reshape how the bloc works.

French and Dutch voters rejected a draft EU constitution in referendums in 2005, pitching the bloc into crisis.

Zapatero will personally lend his support to Royal when he attends a meeting by the candidate in the southwestern French city of Toulouse scheduled for Thursday, just three days before the first round of voting in the French polls.

Right-wing former interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy is leading in the opinion polls over Royal but is still far from certain of ultimate victory in the all-important May 6 run-off.

While Royal is most likely to make it through to the run-off, she is only a few points ahead of centrist Francois Bayrou, whose strong position in the race has been the campaign's big surprise.

Far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, in fourth place in polls, whose hallmark slogan is "French first," denounced the poaching on his political territory that Sarkozy has blatantly done with his emphasis on immigration and the French identity. Royal also took up the theme, playing the French national anthem at rallies and suggesting all citizens get themselves a French flag. -----------Europeans prefer Royal over Sarkozy for French presidency: poll

More than twice as many Europeans would prefer French socialist presidential candidate Royal become the country's next president compared to her right-wing rival Sarkozy, according to a poll published Monday.

The Harris Interactive survey for the Financial Times business daily showed that 16 percent of respondents in Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain said Royal would be the best president for France, compared to seven percent who backed Sarkozy.

Separately, 23 percent of French respondents backed Sarkozy, while Royal was just behind at 22 percent.

Harris Interactive questioned 5,526 adults over the Internet in France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain between March 28 and April 12 for the poll.