Secretariat

France
Special funds budget for France set to reach nearly €100m for 2027

The final deliberations underway over France's 2027 budget are being closely watched by the intelligence services, especially with the special funds budget expected to rise sharply to around €100m, according to our sources. But in previous years, the amount budgeted has often fallen far short of the final figure disbursed.

Spotlight | China
Shadow of purges falls on CCP ceremonies for Jiang Zemin and Zhu Rongji

Two high-profile tributes took place in Beijing in the space of 48 hours, first for Jiang Zemin and then for Zhu Rongji. Intelligence Online identified four notable absences among the Party leadership in attendance, starting with that of Hu Jintao.

Spotlight | Ukraine
Andriy Yermak rebuilds networks amid Ukraine reshuffle

Despite being under electronic surveillance since the Mindich affair, former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak has been meeting a slew of Ukrainian security officials.

France
From UAE to Kosovo, French ambassadorial transfers in full swing

A number of high-profile figures, including close associates of Emmanuel Macron, veteran diplomats and academics, are set to take up posts at key French embassies this summer.

France
Race is on to find new DRM military intelligence chief

General Jacques Langlade de Montgros, who has headed France's DRM military intelligence since 2022, is shortly set to be appointed Chief of the Army Staff. The favourite candidate to succeed him now appears to be falling behind in favour of the French army's second in command.

France, Turkey
French government turns intel focus on Turkey's Milli Gorus

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has noted that a bill aimed at combating separatism and infiltration targets not only the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist groups, but also Milli Gorus, a Turkish Islamist movement that has recently come under intelligence service scrutiny.

France
Government pushes lawmakers to approve messaging app backdoors

The French government hopes to persuade senators to withdraw a proposed ban of backdoors on messaging apps in proposed legislation on infrastructure resilience and cybersecurity.

France
SGDSN given big budget boost to counter hybrid attacks

France's SGDSN defence and national security secretariat has split the extra funding it has received since September 2025 to combat hybrid threats between its four operators ANSSI, Osiic, GIC and Viginum.

Spotlight | Europe, France
France's Viginum takes fight against Russian propaganda to Europe's eastern flank

In a bid to fight Russian propaganda, France's foreign disinformation watchdog is deploying its teams across Europe, extending as far as Armenia in the Caucasus. In doing so, the agency is following in the footsteps of its ‘big brother', France's DGSE foreign intelligence service.

France
French MPs seek to tighten controls on foreign investment

French MPs have taken a number of initiatives in recent months that reflect the increasing importance of regulating foreign investments. The underlying desire is to bolster the finance ministry's Strategic Information and Economic Security Service tasked with protecting national economic interests.

Myanmar
Resistance unites under new national council in face of boldened junta

With post-election political maneuvering in full swing, the Burmese resistance is poised to announce the creation of a unified national council. The new body is set to take precedence over the exiled unity government NUG and will place influential ethnic groups in charge of military affairs.

The Agencies' Gazette
SGDSN anniversary watch, ODNI military adviser, Kyiv's Africa plan

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

FranceBespoke watches for SGDSN's 120th anniversary

USTulsi Gabbard's new military adviser is a Marine

UkraineA plan for Kyiv's return to Africa