Experts Name Europe's Strongest Intelligence Service
- 9.08.2026, 9:05
Sixty experts from 25 countries participated in the study.
The British Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, took first place in a ranking of European foreign intelligence services compiled by the French magazine L’Express based on assessments by current and former intelligence officers from various countries. Experts particularly praised the British agency’s ability to recruit high-level informants and infiltrate the ruling circles of Russia, China, Iran, and Turkey, according to The Guardian.
Sixty experts from 25 countries participated in the study. They evaluated the intelligence services of countries allied with the West.
MI6 scored 251 points and took first place by a wide margin. Second place went to France’s General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) with 169 points. The Netherlands came in third, and Ukraine fourth. Experts highly praised the ability of Ukrainian intelligence agencies to operate in wartime conditions—Ukrainian intelligence, in particular, is credited with attacks on Russian infrastructure, as well as operations related to the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
Germany took fifth place. According to experts, German intelligence agencies excel at analytical work but face difficulties in recruiting agents abroad.
Sweden came in sixth. According to Svenska Dagbladet, this high ranking was due to the radio and telecommunications interception capabilities of the Swedish FRA, as well as the work of the secret KSI unit within the military intelligence agency MUST.
Norway took seventh place, Estonia eighth, and Poland ninth. Denmark rounded out the top ten strongest intelligence services in Europe.
The second ten of the ranking included Romania, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Below them were Lithuania, Portugal, and Austria. Latvia took last place, 21st.
A former head of France’s DGSE noted that the British know how to think long-term and are willing to spend years developing sources.
“The British are capable of playing the long game, investing in sources with a ten-year horizon—in a sense, like the Russians. And they have a penchant for dirty tricks,” he said.
Ralph Goff , a former CIA director of operations in Europe and Eurasia , separately highlighted the role of British intelligence in Ukraine.
“The British are leading the way on the Ukrainian issue. We’re right behind them,” he stated.
Former head of a CIA station Robert Gorelik called the British intelligence services “undoubtedly the strongest in Europe” and MI6 “outstanding.”
The article also notes that the United Kingdom was among the first to warn Ukraine of the high likelihood of a full-scale Russian invasion, which began in February 2022.
Experts singled out France’s DGSE, which took second place, for its global presence and operational capabilities. One of the heads of Polish intelligence called it the only service in continental Europe with nearly global reach.
“They combine technical intelligence, human intelligence, and operational capabilities,” he said.
The DGSE also received high praise for its work in counterterrorism. In the past, French authorities authorized covert operations against individuals they considered a threat to national security. Former French President François Hollande, as reported in a book published in 2017, spoke of operations to eliminate at least 40 “high-value” targets in the Middle East and Africa.
Since 2025, MI6 has been headed by Blaze Metreveli — the first woman to hold this position.