"NICOLAS LERNER" - All our articles

United States
Tulsi Gabbard, the US intelligence maverick

The White House spies (1/4). On the twentieth anniversary of the creation of the post of US Director of National Intelligence, Intelligence Online looks back over how this prestigious role has evolved. The series' first instalment focuses on President Donald Trump's unusual pick for this key position.

Free access Government Intelligence 22.04.2025

France
Algeria targets interior ministry and spares DGSE in expulsion of French agents

Following the detention of one of its consular agents in France, Algeria has told twelve French embassy officials, mainly from the interior ministry, to leave the country within forty-eight hours.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 14.04.2025

Moroccan Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit (L) greets his French counterpart Bruno Retailleau on his arrival for a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, 14 April 2025.

France
French intelligence implicates Le Monde journalist in execution of Mossad and DGSI informant

The ongoing prosecution of French investigative journalist Alex Jordanov reveals how French intelligence has gone about tracking down the sources of another journalist from Le Monde. The latter is accused of being directly responsible for the execution of a Syrian informant for Mossad and the DGSI.

Free access Government Intelligence 11.04.2025

French intelligence is tracking the sources of a Le Monde journalist.

Spotlight | Italy
Rome briefly turns into European intelligence hub

Italian intelligence services have their work cut out for them in the coming weeks as Rome hosts meetings of European spymasters and mediation missions with Russia, the US and African juntas, at a time of heightened global geopolitical tension.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 09.04.2025

Italian intelligence chief Vittorio Rizzi on 15 December 2023 in Rome.

Spotlight | France
Before taking stock, Emmanuel Macron's final ‘intelligence' projects

Macron the spymaster, part 7: France's youngest ever president, Emmanuel Macron, is also the one who has taken the greatest interest in intelligence. In the seventh and final part of this series, Intelligence Online outlines the final reform projects available to this ever-disruptive president, with twenty-four months to go until he leaves office.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 08.04.2025

France
Russia, Emmanuel Macron's sin of pride

Macron the spymaster, part 6: France's youngest ever president, Emmanuel Macron, is also the one who has taken the greatest interest in intelligence. In the sixth part of this series, Intelligence Online looks back at the president's lost bet with Moscow.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 07.04.2025

France
Paul Soler, Emmanuel Macron's man for secret missions

Macron the spymaster, part 5: France's youngest ever president, Emmanuel Macron, is also the one who has taken the greatest interest in intelligence. In the fifth part of this series, Intelligence Online looks back at the career of the man Macron introduces as his "operational diplomatic adviser".

Free access Government Intelligence 04.04.2025

France
Emmanuel Macron's four musketeers of intelligence

Macron the spymaster, part 4: France's youngest ever president, Emmanuel Macron, is also the one who has taken the greatest interest in intelligence. In the fourth part of this series, Intelligence Online takes a look at the ups and downs of the intelligence protagonists of the Macron years.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 03.04.2025

Spotlight | Europe, United States
CIA sends placatory mission to Europe

As Europe strives to adapt to Donald Trump's about-turns, the US foreign intelligence agency has sent some of its officers on a tour of European capitals to strengthen ties with their counterparts while their chiefs hold parallel meetings.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 19.03.2025

CIA Director John Ratcliffe (L) and US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on 4 March 2025.

France
France's foreign interference register set for July

The authority tasked with preventing conflicts of interest among French officials will be in charge of the register, equivalent to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 04.03.2025

Spotlight | Africa
French TV spy success The Bureau eyes Ivory Coast for African spin-off

The Original Productions, which produced the hugely popular French TV thriller series The Bureau, is considering Ivory Coast, over Mali and Senegal, as the setting for its African spin-off. Filming is not expected to start until 2026.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 03.03.2025

Producer Alex Berger at an event focused on the French TV series, Le Bureau des Légendes, 7 April 2018.

Spy Way of Life | France
At the Fort Neuf de Vincennes, a seat at the DGSE's table

Across the globe, spies love to gather in inconspicuous dens to meet contacts and hold discreet conversations. This week, Intelligence Online takes a sneak peek at plans for the canteens at the Fort Neuf de Vincennes, French foreign intelligence's future headquarters, and visits Les Officiers, the bistro just across the street.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 14.02.2025

Germany
DGSE, MI6, MIT, GID: Spymasters descend on Munich

As negotiations on Ukraine and the Middle East pick up pace, more than 20 intelligence chiefs are set to attend the Munich Security Conference, being held in the German city from 14 to 16 February.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 13.02.2025

The Hotel Bayerischer Hof preparing to host the 61st Munich Security Conference from 14 to 16 February in Munich, Germany.

Spotlight | Algeria, France
Paris-Algiers: the secrets behind an unproductive collaboration

As the diplomatic gulf between both countries widens, Intelligence Online reveals what has been stoking tensions between French and Algerian intelligence services.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 10.02.2025

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

France
DGSI wins bout in long-running dispute with former public tender manager

A French administrative court ruling on the interior ministry's handling of an officer from a DGSI officer, who claimed to have been harassed and had his security clearance stripped, sheds light on a simmering dispute over the way contracts for the French domestic intelligence agency's future headquarters are being awarded.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 05.02.2025

The French interior ministry has marked a win against a French DGSI domestic intelligence service contractor who filed a raft of complaints against the agency in 2021.

Spotlight | France, Russia, Syria, Turkey, United States
French security diplomacy in top gear for Syria's great game

From secret visits to high-level videoconferences, French security diplomacy has been finding its way among the major players ahead of a major Syria conference in Paris on 13 February. While Russia is trying to get back into the country, some Gulf nations are readying an alternative to Ahmed al-Sharaa's rule.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 04.02.2025

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot (centre), his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock (left) and the new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on 3 January 2025.

Spotlight | France
French intelligence service safeguards funding for developing in-house spyware

While the French domestic intelligence agency is one of the entities least affected by recent interior ministry budget cuts, that financial pressure caused considerable concern within its technical directorate, currently working on a major in-house spyware project.

Subscribers only Surveillance & Interception 03.02.2025

France
France makes new push for backdoors into encrypted messaging apps

French senators have passed an amendment paving the way for intelligence agencies to access backdoors into messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 30.01.2025

France, Israel, Qatar, United States
Gaza ceasefire: France's secret role

Breaking news published on 16/01/25 at 16:05 GMT: In the year leading up to the freshly agreed Gaza ceasefire, France was playing a facilitating role, not least in hosting the negotiating quartet for talks. That enabled Paris to push for discreet amendments to the agreement announced Wednesday night.

Free access Government Intelligence 16.01.2025

Benjamin Netanyahu and Emmanuel Macron in Jerusalem on 24 October 2023.

France
Revolution at France's DGSE continues with new security chief job

The foreign intelligence service headed by Nicolas Lerner is to have a new overarching security boss, following the example of the DGSI domestic intelligence service. The DGSE's highly secretive DG/P unit, in charge of counter-penetration, was abolished in July.

Subscribers only Government Intelligence 16.01.2025

Nicolas Lerner, director general of the French foreign intelligence service, the DGSE.

Ukraine
Jamming wars

China, Europe, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, United States
The geopolitical power plays in Earth observation

Armenia, Azerbaijan, France
Information wars in the Caucasus

Israel
Israeli cyber bounces back after NSO woes

Kazakhstan
Inside Astana's bid to track down assets

Insiders | China
Security, propaganda and the PLA: Xi Jinping forges new networks of influence

Insiders | Qatar
Barzan Holdings, Qatar's defence industry giant springing up out of the desert

Nicolas Lerner

United States
Tulsi Gabbard, the US intelligence maverick

France
Algeria targets interior ministry and spares DGSE in expulsion of French agents

France
French intelligence implicates Le Monde journalist in execution of Mossad and DGSI informant

Spotlight | Italy
Rome briefly turns into European intelligence hub

Spotlight | France
Before taking stock, Emmanuel Macron's final ‘intelligence' projects

France
Russia, Emmanuel Macron's sin of pride

France
Paul Soler, Emmanuel Macron's man for secret missions

France
Emmanuel Macron's four musketeers of intelligence

Spotlight | Europe, United States
CIA sends placatory mission to Europe

France
France's foreign interference register set for July

Spotlight | Africa
French TV spy success The Bureau eyes Ivory Coast for African spin-off

Spy Way of Life | France
At the Fort Neuf de Vincennes, a seat at the DGSE's table

Germany
DGSE, MI6, MIT, GID: Spymasters descend on Munich

Spotlight | Algeria, France
Paris-Algiers: the secrets behind an unproductive collaboration

France
DGSI wins bout in long-running dispute with former public tender manager

Spotlight | France, Russia, Syria, Turkey, United States
French security diplomacy in top gear for Syria's great game

Spotlight | France
French intelligence service safeguards funding for developing in-house spyware

France
France makes new push for backdoors into encrypted messaging apps

France, Israel, Qatar, United States
Gaza ceasefire: France's secret role

France
Revolution at France's DGSE continues with new security chief job

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About Intelligence Online

Subscription

Indigo Publications' websites

Ukraine Jamming wars

China, Europe, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, United States The geopolitical power plays in Earth observation

Armenia, Azerbaijan, France Information wars in the Caucasus

Israel Israeli cyber bounces back after NSO woes

Kazakhstan Inside Astana's bid to track down assets

Insiders | China Security, propaganda and the PLA: Xi Jinping forges new networks of influence

Insiders | Qatar Barzan Holdings, Qatar's defence industry giant springing up out of the desert

Nicolas Lerner

United States Tulsi Gabbard, the US intelligence maverick

France Algeria targets interior ministry and spares DGSE in expulsion of French agents

France French intelligence implicates Le Monde journalist in execution of Mossad and DGSI informant

Spotlight | Italy Rome briefly turns into European intelligence hub

Spotlight | France Before taking stock, Emmanuel Macron's final ‘intelligence' projects

France Russia, Emmanuel Macron's sin of pride

France Paul Soler, Emmanuel Macron's man for secret missions

France Emmanuel Macron's four musketeers of intelligence

Spotlight | Europe, United States CIA sends placatory mission to Europe

France France's foreign interference register set for July

Spotlight | Africa French TV spy success The Bureau eyes Ivory Coast for African spin-off

Spy Way of Life | France At the Fort Neuf de Vincennes, a seat at the DGSE's table

Germany DGSE, MI6, MIT, GID: Spymasters descend on Munich

Spotlight | Algeria, France Paris-Algiers: the secrets behind an unproductive collaboration

France DGSI wins bout in long-running dispute with former public tender manager

Spotlight | France, Russia, Syria, Turkey, United States French security diplomacy in top gear for Syria's great game

Spotlight | France French intelligence service safeguards funding for developing in-house spyware

France France makes new push for backdoors into encrypted messaging apps

France, Israel, Qatar, United States Gaza ceasefire: France's secret role

France Revolution at France's DGSE continues with new security chief job

Refine your search

About Intelligence Online

Subscription

Intelligence Online on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

Ukraine
Jamming wars

China, Europe, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, United States
The geopolitical power plays in Earth observation

Armenia, Azerbaijan, France
Information wars in the Caucasus

Israel
Israeli cyber bounces back after NSO woes

Kazakhstan
Inside Astana's bid to track down assets

Insiders | China
Security, propaganda and the PLA: Xi Jinping forges new networks of influence

Insiders | Qatar
Barzan Holdings, Qatar's defence industry giant springing up out of the desert

United States
Tulsi Gabbard, the US intelligence maverick

France
Algeria targets interior ministry and spares DGSE in expulsion of French agents

France
French intelligence implicates Le Monde journalist in execution of Mossad and DGSI informant

Spotlight | Italy
Rome briefly turns into European intelligence hub

Spotlight | France
Before taking stock, Emmanuel Macron's final ‘intelligence' projects

France
Russia, Emmanuel Macron's sin of pride

France
Paul Soler, Emmanuel Macron's man for secret missions

France
Emmanuel Macron's four musketeers of intelligence

Spotlight | Europe, United States
CIA sends placatory mission to Europe

France
France's foreign interference register set for July

Spotlight | Africa
French TV spy success The Bureau eyes Ivory Coast for African spin-off

Spy Way of Life | France
At the Fort Neuf de Vincennes, a seat at the DGSE's table

Germany
DGSE, MI6, MIT, GID: Spymasters descend on Munich

Spotlight | Algeria, France
Paris-Algiers: the secrets behind an unproductive collaboration

France
DGSI wins bout in long-running dispute with former public tender manager

Spotlight | France, Russia, Syria, Turkey, United States
French security diplomacy in top gear for Syria's great game

Spotlight | France
French intelligence service safeguards funding for developing in-house spyware

France
France makes new push for backdoors into encrypted messaging apps

France, Israel, Qatar, United States
Gaza ceasefire: France's secret role

France
Revolution at France's DGSE continues with new security chief job