The French had to ask US nuclear engineers to fix issues with their EPR reactor at Taishan breaking fuel elements. And the US government leaked that news on purpose to make them look bad. While France has a highly advanced nuclear industry, much of it is based on US licensed technology. Russia has a much more solid nuclear technology base.
Just ask yourself where are other nation's equivalents of things like the Russian Burevestnik and Poseidon. Nowhere. Russia seems to have much more advanced lightweight miniaturized nuclear reactors than anyone else right now.
China has some advanced nuclear reactors like the TMSR-LF1 and the PBMR currently in the testing or exploration phase. Russia has the IZhSR, BN-1200M, BREST-300 currently in the design or construction phase. So both countries are heavily investing in Generation IV nuclear reactors.
France is near the bottom in Physics Olympiad despite participating since early 70s but they can always attract from other countries.
the next is French video as host for 2025 Physics Olympiad.