But the French, roiled by political instability and war, have never settled on a political unifying idea or constitutional touchstone. Instead, French patriotism expresses a loyalty to French language and culture and history. It replaces tribalism not with idealism but with culturism.

That sounds wrong. Certainly people who consider themselves French patriots are likely to say "Speak French, dammit!", "Yeah, maybe it's like that in your country but you're in France now", or "Go Napoleon!", but no more than American patriots are likely to say the analogues.

Also, French patriotism is huge on political ideas. Motherland of human rights, French revolution, Resistance, and all that.