Fifty years ago fusion power was supposed to be ready in fifty years. Today, the "experts" are still saying fifty years. Saying that France will have the first fusion reactor is like saying that Britain will be where the warp drive is built. Pointless.
Yes, and Reddy Kilowatt was bragging about electricity "too cheap to meter." In 1963 I attended a "Youth Conference on the Atom" held in Chicago and at Argonne National Labs. I recall "fusion--energy forever" was a big topic. All the engineers from Illinois and UChicago were talking about magnetic bottles back then. Just around the corner, you might say, but hell it was only 42 years ago. I'm sure we're a lot closer now.(/sarc.)
I do have to grant them one prop though. it was cool to see crystals of xenon hexaflouride out at Argonne.
This is for the same reason as with space programs: all these fusion projects have been run by governments. Governments, even if they can afford the best scientists to run such projects, all have the same flaw: they have to listen to input from Luddites, cranks and socialists. The only way a government program can produce technology like this is with wartime secrecy and urgency, like the Manhattan Project.
We will get fusion the year after someone like Paul Allen decides to run the program.