In France no matter how good you are at work only important is your education background and diploma...and on top of all: your relationships!
This leads to a very bad SMS in management.
Say people they are what the Earth has the best made and you have a good chance to improve your accident record list.
That doesn't mean this can explain all the AF accidents.
Remember the Tenerif accident and the authocratic behaviour of the KLM chief pilot (peace to his soul).
Proudiness and self confidence have nothing to do with aviation safety and that's unfortunally the way people behave in AF and probably in other majors...
An other thing I would like to point out concerning the French management.
At the opposite of the anglosaxon system French managers (In the airlines at least) are most of the times choosen in the "friends tank" more than in the "tank of good guys" and if possible the chief will choose a guy that is not good enough to take his own position
