For example, MI6 recently asked Slovenia for assistance in investigating Russian spies operating in Montenegro.
Croatia’s reputation, meanwhile, has been enhanced by the fact that its former intelligence chief, Daniel Markić, was appointed to lead the European Union’s intelligence apparatus.
The Irish and Luxembourgish services were praised for their expertise in investigating financial crimes, while Greece was recognized for its knowledge of neighboring Turkey.
For the most part, however, the lowest-ranked services received harsh criticism.
In the case of Cyprus, L’Express noted that Russian, Chinese, and Israeli intelligence services all converge there.
Malta’s problem, meanwhile, is the close relationship between the state apparatus and organized crime.
One country was singled out as unquestionably the weakest among those receiving no points.
“There was an almost universal consensus that the dubious honor of being Europe’s worst security service belongs to Slovakia, where nepotism is combined with incompetence and ties to Russia,” the article stated.
It added a colorful description: “In August 2025, the head of Slovakia’s foreign intelligence service, Pavol Gašpar, with a Godfather tattoo on his biceps and flip-flops on his feet, was driving his yellow sports car when he caused a traffic accident.”
How Was the Intelligence Ranking Compiled?
To produce what it described as the first public ranking of European intelligence services, L’Express invited serving and recently retired leaders of various agencies to participate in a vote.