He seems to have been quite receptive to M with more than a little E thrown in, to the extent that receiving M from a (probably non-Mossad but there is no proving that) Israeli source convinced his E that he was really a Highly Sought After Secret Agent.
Mr. International Espionage was apparently a really cheap date: $9,000 for "... information classified as both top secret and secret, on U.S. satellites, early warning systems, means of defense or retaliation against large-scale attack, communications intelligence information, and major elements of defense strategy".
Much of the French spying is economic espionage. Russia doesn't have the money it did during the cold war. But they are very good at getting information from humans. The KGB was easily the best functioning body of the Soviet government. Which is why they essentially run the Russian government today.
Money: You pay them.
Ideals: Appeal to their ideals. Say in this case, protecting the Jewish state.
Coercion: Blackmail
Ego: Make a powerless bureaucrat feel important on a historical scale.
Top three countries that spy on the US:
1) Israel
2) China
3) France