French media ranks European intelligence agencies; UK's MI6 leads

A recent ranking of European intelligence agencies, compiled by French media, has placed the United Kingdom's MI6 at the top, citing its effectiveness in recruiting agents within closed regimes such as Russia, China, Turkey, and Iran. The evaluation, which assessed civilian and military intelligence services across 21 European nations, involved consultations with 60 intelligence experts from 25 countries.

France secured the second position, attributed to its extensive global connections established during the colonial era. The Netherlands followed in third place, recognized for its deep penetration of Iran's nuclear program. Ukraine's wartime intelligence services earned the fourth spot, surpassing Sweden, which was ranked sixth for its advanced signals and electronic intelligence capabilities.

Poland's intelligence services achieved ninth place, a position that underscores Warsaw's increasing significance in European security and places it ahead of regional neighbors like Romania and the Czech Republic. Estonia ranked eighth, while German intelligence services were noted for their analytical prowess, securing fifth place. Norway and Denmark finished seventh and tenth, respectively.

The ranking also highlighted the performance of other nations, with Spain, Italy, and Belgium falling in the middle tier. Lithuania, Portugal, and Austria were ranked 18th, 19th, and 20th, respectively. Latvia received the lowest score among the 21 assessed countries. The report noted that intelligence agencies generally do not openly admit to employing secret agents.