First, France IS in the first world.
Second, the limits are for the bank's protection (although they will try to convince you it's for your benefit). It's to limit their losses if someone steals your card and pin and goes on a spending spree. (US cards have similar limits, BTW.)
Most French banks that issue the Carte Bleu are very tolerant of spending levels even if your charges exceed the cash balance in the account. If I had to guess, I'd say it's based on a credit evaluation or seniority of the account.
The Europeans have developed bureaucracy to a fine art, especially in finance. They are very concerned about money laundering and terrorist funding, so their approach to banking is much more formal than even the post-Patriot Act bank behavior in the U.S.