Legendary actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has called on the French to vote for Marine Le Pen in Sunday's elections, because her rival Emmanuel Macron lacks empathy and his victory would hurt animals.

Legendary French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has called on her compatriots to vote for Marine Le Pen in the final French election on May 7.

She criticized rival Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of a "lack of empathy."

Si Macron passe, les animaux trépassent! pic.twitter.com/wpMuYkuevZ — BRIGITTE BARDOT (@brigitte_bardot) 2 мая 2017 г.

​"If Macron wins, animals die!" Bardot exclaimed in a Twitter post to her 32,000 followers.

"The contempt he gives to animal suffering can be seen in the total lack of empathy reflected in the coldness of his steel eyes."

"Amid increasing scandals, he takes the side of animal breeders and hunters against the animal rights associations which are fighting the lobbies that seem to have power over this candidate."

"I call upon those who love and respect animals not to vote for Macron!"

The social media post is not the first time the actress, one of the best known sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s, has backed Le Pen and French nationalism.

In a 2014 Paris Match interview, Bardot described herself as a "native Frenchwoman and proud of it," and expressed hope that the Front National leader can "save France."

"I hope she [Le Pen] saves France. She is the Joan of Arc of the 21st century," Bardot told the magazine.

However, it remains to be seen whether Bardot's support will help Le Pen win over the French electorate.

Bardot, who retired from entertainment in 1973, is one of few French film industry figures to make a political statement about the upcoming elections.

I think it's the right time to be a citizen. https://t.co/qPrFEKLwne pic.twitter.com/lAbU2N9wB6 — Luc Besson (@lucbesson) 28 апреля 2017 г.

​Last week, French filmmaker Luc Besson railed against Le Pen in a lengthy Facebook post. Like Bardot, he focused on the appearance of his least favored candidate; according to the director, Le Pen's eyes "are devoid of love, compassion or emotion."