Is this a French application (everything else thread-wise from the Frogs is back-asswards, don't you know)?

If by "back-asswwards" you mean left-hand thread, the only left-hand thread components I am aware of are British-threaded BB fixed cups, Swiss-threaded BB fixed cups, and all left-side pedals produced in the last half a century, regardless of country of origin.

French (i.e. Metric) threading was never backwards in any application, except for pedals, as noted.

It appears you have an example of a tool with a weird, back-assward Campy-only application. It is most probably Italian threaded.