WorldThe Bond effect? How MI6 fascinates spy watchers around the world

Britain’s intelligence officers are quietly pleased by a new ranking of Europe’s espionage agencies. French weekly L’Express asked 60 current and former spies from across Europe, along with representatives of the CIA and Israel’s Mossad, to secretly name their five leading foreign services. MI6 came first with 251 points, well ahead of France’s DGSE on 169. The result highlights the enduring appeal of the James Bond image, even though the films and television dramas that shape it are fictional.

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TThe Guardian★☆☆☆☆2026-08-08 11:00Original