I would say that it is important to list a larger area of focus (Europe-not France, east-Asia-not Japan), but it is still important to be focusing on a political science question whose answer applies more universally.
If your question deals with the comparative political economy of insurgency, for example, you're likely not going to be studying this in France, but in Latin America, the Middle East, or Africa. I think the question about focus area deals more with making sure you know where you should be studying your interests rather than saying you want to study those countries.