French DGSI Report Highlights Concerns about Muslim Brotherhood, Belgium Identified as European Hub

Background: Publication of the DGSI Report

On May 21, 2025, France’s internal intelligence service, the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure (DGSI), presented a confidential intelligence report titled “The Muslim Brotherhood and Political Islam in France” to President Emmanuel Macron. The 73-page report, originally commissioned by the French government in 2024 and leaked to conservative media, led Macron to postpone its official release. Macron subsequently convened France’s National Security Council to discuss its findings and urged ministers to take swift action.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described the Brotherhood’s activities as “low-profile Islamism,” accusing the group of infiltrating social structures to impose Islamic law. However, Macron stressed that the findings should not lead to the stigmatization of all Muslims.

Key Findings and Conclusions

The DGSI report outlines how the Muslim Brotherhood attempts to expand its influence in France through “entryism”—infiltrating public institutions such as schools and local governments. The principal French affiliate, “Musulmans de France” (MdF), reportedly controls 139 mosques and has links with another 68, drawing approximately 91,000 weekly worshippers. Additionally, the Brotherhood maintains influence through 280 associations, including educational and charitable organizations.

These organizations subtly introduce conservative social norms and gradually influence local communities through schools, sports clubs, and religious activities, creating “local ecosystems.”

Threat to National Cohesion

The DGSI emphasizes the long-term, non-violent threat posed by the Brotherhood’s “bottom-up Islamism”—a slow erosion of secular and republican values rather than violent extremism. Although no immediate threat to state security was identified, the report underscores risks to social cohesion and secular values.

International Dimension and Belgium’s Role

The DGSI notes that the Brotherhood increasingly focuses its attention on Europe as its influence wanes in the Middle East. Belgium is specifically highlighted as a significant European hub, particularly Brussels, due to its strategic proximity to EU institutions. Around 200 active Brotherhood members in Belgium reportedly engage primarily in lobbying, fundraising, and ideological dissemination, rather than extensive mosque operations. The “Ligue des Musulmans de Belgique” (LMB) in Brussels is explicitly named as a core organization.

Belgian security services previously indicated the presence of around fifty core Brotherhood members in Belgium, signifying a modest yet notable presence.

Policy Responses in France

President Macron has called for rapid governmental measures, particularly to protect secularism and municipal governance from infiltration. French authorities aim to increase oversight of foreign funding and local Islamist activities. Retailleau advocates intensified monitoring and possibly banning certain organizations.

The French government stresses that the measures are strictly targeted at extremist organizations, not the broader Muslim community.

Political and Social Reactions in France

Reactions vary significantly:

• Right-wing Opposition (Rassemblement National) demands stronger measures, including outright bans.
• Left-wing Opposition (La France Insoumise) criticizes the report as politically instrumentalized and stigmatizing.
• Experts caution against conflating conservative religious practices with extremism, highlighting the Brotherhood’s relative institutional moderation.
• Muslim Organizations deny links with the Brotherhood and warn against widespread stigmatization and distrust.

Reactions and Implications for Belgium

Belgium’s identification as a European hub immediately sparked political debate. Belgian politicians, such as Denis Ducarme (MR), called for dissolving the Brotherhood and establishing legal frameworks to ban extremist organizations. Belgian authorities confirmed actively working on legislation enabling the dissolution of radical groups threatening national security.

Belgian media emphasized the need for increased vigilance and collaboration with France, highlighting the strategic importance of cross-border intelligence sharing.

Cooperation between France and Belgium

The DGSI report indicates ongoing intelligence exchanges between France and Belgium, essential due to the Brotherhood’s cross-border activities. This cooperation is expected to intensify, aligning joint efforts against extremism.

This situation reflects Europe’s broader challenge of balancing security measures with the protection of civil liberties in the face of subtle influences from political Islamism.