Because even Macron knows that destroying your history is the path to communism.
Oh, I don't think that is it. It's that the core value of France is being French which means being different for the sake of being different. I have spent some time in France and there is much to admire actually. They make the world's best wine, still, because it is an art, not a science, which is also part of their culinary excellence. Their women are beautiful. Paris used to be one of three or four great cities for just walking around (London, Rome were their competitors). They are imaginative if not entirely practical scientists and engineers. Their language is the clearest in the world because clarity of expression is a key feature of the language - If it's not clear it's not French. They just shouldn't try putting themselves in charge of running the world. No one should, actually, a point our neo-cons need to learn.
Since we Americans can never remember who we are, and don't care that we can't, it is useful to have the French who can and who care deeply about it.