A ranking published by French outlet L’Express places the United Kingdom’s MI6 in first place among intelligence services in Europe. The list, based on assessments by 60 international professionals in the field, puts France second and the Netherlands third.
MI6 at the top of the list
According to the published ranking, MI6 received 251 points, placing it at the top of the classification.
France’s DGSE ranks second with 169 points, while the Netherlands’ AIVD is third with 97 points.
Ukraine and Germany in the top five
In fourth position, Ukraine’s SBU and HUR were ranked jointly with 77 points.
Germany’s BND holds fifth place with 62 points, according to the same publication.
Which countries are included in the top ten
Also among the top 10 are Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Poland and Denmark.
The publication does not provide, in this summary, the points for each of these countries, but includes them in the top ten of the list.
How the ranking was compiled
According to the explanation provided by L’Express, the ranking was drawn up by a jury of 60 international intelligence professionals.
Each voted for five foreign intelligence services, assigning five points to the first-place choice down to one point for the fifth-place choice. The main evaluation criteria were effectiveness and reliability.
Other countries included in the list
Beyond the top ten, the list also includes Romania, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Portugal, Austria and Latvia.
The ranking is presented as an assessment based on the professional perception of the jury, rather than as a publicly verifiable measurement of all the operational capabilities of these agencies.
The list offers an overview of how some of the continent’s best-known intelligence agencies are assessed, but remains tied to the methodology and judgment of the experts who took part in the vote.
Beyond the ranking itself, the publication highlights the weight that effectiveness and reliability continue to carry in international perceptions of European intelligence services.