MI6 Ranked Top European Intelligence Agency in Peer Review

A peer review conducted by the French weekly L’Express, involving 60 intelligence professionals from 25 countries, placed the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) at the top of a European ranking. MI6 scored 251 points, far ahead of France’s DGSE (169 points) and the Dutch AIVD (97 points). The top five also included the intelligence services of the Netherlands, Ukraine, and Germany, while Slovakia’s agency ranked lowest.

Commentators highlighted MI6’s strength in recruiting high‑level informants and penetrating elite circles in Russia, China, Iran and Turkey, as well as its long‑term source development. Former CIA officials Ralph Goff and Robert Gorelick praised the agency’s lead on the Ukrainian conflict. The review also noted that Blaise Metreweli became the first woman to head MI6 last year.

The ranking reflects professional perception rather than an official performance metric, but it underscores MI6’s reputation for extensive global reach and operational capability across Europe.