Mr. François Fischer, newly appointed Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Intelligence College in Europe (ICE)

I am a true believer in the need of building a common strategic culture within the Intelligence Community in Europe and I will dedicate my efforts to increase the visibility and the presence of the Intelligence College in Europe.

François Fischer

In April this year, Mr. François Fischer was elected by the Intelligence College’s members as the new Director of the ICE’s Permanent Secretariat.

A specialist of Balkan issues in his early life, Mr. Fischer evolved through his career on broader portfolio and at a more strategic level, being European & Multilateral advisor of his Service’s Strategic Directorate, liaising with EU and NATO.

As a senior intelligence officer, Mr. Fischer has also been for six years Head of Analysis of the EU civilian Intelligence Analysis Centre (EU INTCEN), where he has interacted more intimately with all the European services in a multilateral format.

He holds a Master in Political Science from Sciences-Po Paris, a Bachelor in History from Sorbonne and has passed the High Civil Servant Special training in Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in Strasbourg.

Mr. Fischer is succeeding Mrs. Yasmine Gouédard, the first Director of the Permanent Secretariat.

Thanks to her commitment, visible and tangible progress was achieved despite the Covid-19 restrictions and the launch of the largest military assault in Europe since World War II. All the developments she helped raise and operationalise will be maintained and developed. They will form the core of ICE’s activities.

Mr. Fischer is a true believer in the need of a common “grammar” between all the European intelligence services and will work, the more intimately possible, with the Troika and its Presidency, in order to intensify exchanges on this topic, be it between intelligence services but also between intelligence studies’ researchers, and to increase usefully the outreach of the ICE.