“The Middle East we have known is over. We see that Syria is already divided on the ground, that the regime is controlling only a small part of the county, only one-third of the country which was established after WWII. We have the same thing in Iraq. I doubt really that one can come back to the previous situation.” DGSE Director Bernard Bajolet

General Jean-Pierre Palasset will serve as DGSE Acting-Director until a new Director is chosen by the next French President. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

In a recent post, I told you that four French Intel Agency Directors were about to retire just when the country is preparing to elect a new President amid a series of serious political scandals. That is obviously a lot of uncertainty on the horizon.

RELATED POST: French Intel Agencies Need Four New Heads

[NOTE: The first round of the 2017 French presidential election was held on April 23 2017. A run-off election between the top two candidates will be held on May 27 2017.]

Bernard Bajolet (DGSE), Patrick Calvar (DGSI), and Christophe Gomart (DRM) will retire in the next few weeks. Without a doubt, choosing their successors will be one of the highest priorities of the next French President.

Two weeks ago, Françoise Bilancini succeeded to René Bailly as the new boss of the Paris Police Intelligence Service [Direction du Renseignement de la préfecture de Police de Paris (DRPP)].

On April 17, 2017, Bilancini became the first woman ever to lead a French Intelligence Agency.

DGSE Director General Bernard Bajolet

Bernard Bajolet (born 21 May 1949) is a French diplomat. On April 10, 2013, he was appointed as Head of the Directorate-General for External Security (Direction Générale des Services Extérieurs). Bernard Bajolet must legally retire on May 21 2017. (He will then be 68. A special law had been passed to allow him to stay on the job one year beyond the legal age for mandatory retirement.)

Political reasons prevent the current President to pick a new DGSE Director and time is too short for the next President to decide on Bajolet’s successor. So, a pragmatic decision was made to select a temporary Director in order to ensure a smooth transition.

About General Jean-Pierre Palasset

General Jean-Pierre Palasset (born September 1960) is an Army General.

His last military assignment was the supervision of Operation Barkhane from August 1st 2014 until August 1st 2015.

In September 2015, Palasset joined the DGSE as Bajolet’s n°2.

About the DGSI and DRM

DGSI Patrick Calvar must legally retire on June 1st 2017. (JO. Décret Présidentiel du 15 mars 2017)

General Christophe Gomart, who is the current director of the DRM, has also announced his retirement (date unknown). Air Force General Serge Cholley is rumored to be a potential successor. General Serge Cholley currently commands Operation Chammal in Syria and Iraq.

REFERENCES

Le général Jean-Pierre Palasset nommé temporairement à la tête de la DGSE — Zone Militaire

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FRANCE — DGSE: General Jean-Pierre Palasset to serve as Acting Director