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The Spy Who Couldn’t Possibly Be French:
Espionage (and) Culture in France
by ANJA BECKER -- abstract

In France, espionage might be considered a negative myth, a reluctance to discuss the topic can be traced back systematically to the Ancien Régime, as dictionaries and encyclopedias of the 17th up to 20th century show. In spite of this, the pre-1789 France was quite successful when it came to intelligence gathering on all practical levels. Nonetheless, after the French Revolution, disdain for the spy-business developed into a predominant theme in society, many a famous 19th century author, such as Balzac or Hugo, voiced disdain for spys in their writings. The negative French sentiments eventually culminated in the Dreyfus affaire (1894-1906) which, in turn, did not result in an open discussion of intelligence but rather in the birth of the French intellectual. Charles de Gaulle, a great man marked by the social and nationalist context of his time, might be regarded an antithesis to the spy-enthusiast Winston Churchill; the General was more concerned with the striving for a glorious army. 
Even after the end of the Cold War and with a slight but noticeable opening toward American influences, a pronounced reluctance to talk about intelligence persists. Contemporary authors of popular fiction also keep a certain distance from espionage, their protagonists are either not French or carry names that are not French; a glorious French spy hero has yet to make his appearance.