Abstract: Since the late 20th century the views of the political leadership of France on the problems of defense and security have been formulated in the “White Papers” (Livre Blanc). There have been issued four White Papers on Defense and National Security (1972, 1994, 2008, 2013) and one White Paper on Domestic Security against Terrorism in 2006.
The research subject includes the views of the political leadership of France on the key issues of the national security protection. The chronological framework of the study covers the period from 1972 till the present time. The research methodology is based on the dialectical method of cognition, the concrete historical approach, the system analysis, the formal-legal and comparative-legal methods. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the consistent exposition of the key provisions of the fundamental documents of the French Republic on the issues of the national security and defense, the analysis of the causes and consequences of their transformation and the formulation of the possible prospects of their development. The author concludes that the representatives of French political elite are under a serious influence of American political thought. This dependence manifests itself both in the closeness of the ideas, set forth in the fundamental documents, and in the use of the experience of organization and activities of intelligence agencies. 

Abstract: The research subject of the study is formation, development and legal regulation of intelligence community in France. The chronological framework of the study covers the historical period from 1994 to the present time. The first independent counterintelligence service in France was established in the last year of World War II, thus laying the foundation of the future intelligence community. During the period under consideration, various changes had happened to the internal policy of France and the international situation. Internal and external factors influenced the organization and activities of France’s intelligence community and the condition of national security. The research methodology of the study is based on the dialectical method, concrete historical approach, system analysis, formal legal and comparative legal methods. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the consideration of the transformations of the national security system of France from 1944 to the present day. The transition from the Fourth to the Fifth Republic had significantly changed the role of public authorities in the sphere of security provision. The reforms of the national security system of France which had taken place during 2007-2009, were based on the experience of American intelligence community. France’s counterintelligence agencies and political investigation service reforming was accompanied by the reduction of human, financial and technical resources. The author of the study concludes that these reforms, coupled with unfavorable external factors, had led to internal security weakening and serious drawbacks in combating terrorism.