Yeah, I guess French designers go to various design schools but there just isn't a national design philosophy like how the Scandinavians focus on functionality and minimalism, while Italian design is often form over function. I think there are definitely some design cues that are very French, but perhaps they're a bit old now.

And yeah, totally agree with you about directness haha. I've written about it quite a few times on some articles. As a New Zealander, I've always felt that Australians can be pretty blunt compared to Kiwis, who tend to beat around the bush a lot, but Australians aren't as direct as French people :)