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France in the 20th Century really fell hard - particularly from WW2 onwards.

Much of this had to do with the decline of their empire, but also because when compared to powers of a continental scale such as the United States and Soviet Union it's hard not to pale in comparison.

Algeria today has 42 million people. It's approximate to France, and though middle-income would likely be wealthier if part of France. The population would probably be smaller though, due to access to family planning, increased income, women in the workforce, women being educated, etc but I can't see it being any less than 30 million at the lowest.

With Algeria, France would have a larger population, lots of oil, and an overland connection to Niger from which France derives its Uranium.

If one wants to take the idea further, France retaining Gabon, Djibouti, and Comoros and perhaps annexing Fezzan could work.
They could also ensure that they keep Kehl and maintain Saarish independence and dependency.
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