The French have done joint military development projects successfully. One example is the SEPECAT Jaguar. There are also more modern examples like the Tiger helicopter or the A400M.
You could argue that some of the features the French insisted on having for the Rafale made it a more suitable aircraft overall than the Eurofighter.
You could argue that some of the features the French insisted on having for the Rafale made it a more suitable aircraft overall than the Eurofighter.