Here's why:
* Official Languages: French is an official language in 29 countries, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and many African nations. Spanish, while also an official language in many countries, is primarily concentrated in Latin America and Spain.
* Number of Speakers: French has about 300 million native speakers worldwide, while Spanish has about 543 million. However, many Spanish speakers reside outside of Europe, primarily in Latin America.
* Geographic Distribution: French is spoken throughout Europe, from France and Belgium in the west to Romania and Moldova in the east. Spanish, on the other hand, is primarily concentrated in the Iberian Peninsula and its former colonies.
While Spanish has more native speakers globally, French has a wider geographic distribution and is more widely spoken within Europe.