Here's a thought

Maybe the French could spend some time and money building their Army, fighting bad guys or doing something constructive instead devoting all their resources toward one-upping themselves in the tallest structure contest.
I mean granted their new bridge does serve a purpose, but Chirac and all the rest talk about it in purely aesthetic terms, revealing their true feelings. They just really like tall stuff.

"It's a miracle of equilibrium. It's French engineering genius. It's dialogue between nature and man. It's a marvel of art and architecture."

"Oh yeah, and it'll help with traffic too (we think)."