„Partout où nécessité fait loi”
France’s (Counter)Intelligence Services
Copyright (c) 2025 Kovács Tamás
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Abstract
France is a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, i.e. with veto power, otherwise it is a key member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In essence, France has been one of the defining great powers of the continent since Charlemagne, and of the world since the 18th century, even if the size and strength of its influence varies and strongly fluctuates over time. The sense of French "gloire" and great power position is at least as important to today's French society as the "idea of the republic", the trinity of "liberty, equality, fraternity". However, the French leadership has always been aware that effective secret services are indispensable for maintaining and further strengthening France's international positions.
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