I know almost nothing about the German political system so I won't discuss that. But the French system has plenty of flaws, two of the biggest being that
1/ énarques aren't technical at all, don't actually know anything except how bureaucracy works, and yet they're in charge of everything
2/ super-selective schools have the side effect of letting people think they're geniuses because they topped a competition while in their teens
Yeah I'm sure the French system also has its problems, my general impression about the administration (not top level political positions) was that people were more technically competent though. I might be biased though as I mostly know people from a few institutes on the Saclay plateau, so it might just have been an "island of happiness" in a sea of problems.
1/ énarques aren't technical at all, don't actually know anything except how bureaucracy works, and yet they're in charge of everything
2/ super-selective schools have the side effect of letting people think they're geniuses because they topped a competition while in their teens