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Video length: 3 min
DGSE: “I admit to being a little paranoid”, exclusive interview with Nicolas Lerner
The DGSE has been headed since the start of the year by Nicolas Lerner. The head of this universe of 7,500 French spies, popularized by the series The Bureau of Legends, speaks in an exclusive interview.
(France 2)
The DGSE has been headed since the start of the year by Nicolas Lerner. The head of this universe of 7,500 French spies, popularized by the series The Bureau of Legends, speaks in an exclusive interview.
After five years as head of internal security, Nicolas Lerner became head of the DGSE. “I remember a foreign counterpart who told me ‘when it vibrates it’s not a big deal when it starts to ring, that’s when problems can arise’ and that’s quite true”, he confides. As the 2024 Olympics approach, he discusses the terrorist threat that “never actually disappeared” according to him. “The Olympic Games, a major event if ever there was one, is potentially an event likely to be targeted by terrorist groups, but at this stage we have no specific threat”he continues.
Myth or reality ?
“A lot of things are true in the Bureau of Legends”, says Nicolas Lerner, including the nicknames given to agents for the most delicate missions. The DGSE is paranoid? “Paranoia is undoubtedly a fault for ordinary mortals, but I believe that when you do intelligence, it is a quality so I accept being a little paranoid, yes”, he explains. DGSE spies lead a perilous path between parallel diplomacy and clandestine operations.
