# Polish political disputes involving Deputy Defence Minister > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/polish-political-disputes-involving-deputy-defence-minister > Updated: 2026-10-05T15:39:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. The political discourse surrounding Poland’s Deputy Minister of National Defence, Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, has shifted from allegations of foreign influence to debates regarding gender in the armed forces. Initially, media reports from outlets affiliated with the Law and Justice (PiS) party focused on Sobkowiak-Czarnecka’s alleged connections to Germany. Critics of these reports argued the portrayals were manipulative and ignored broader international political influences. More recently, the focus has moved to a dispute over the role of women in uniformed services following comments by politician Sławomir Mentzen questioning their suitability for the police and military. Sobkowiak-Czarnecka defended female service members, noting that women make up 16 percent of the Polish military and over 20 percent of the Territorial Defence Forces. To support female participation, she highlighted the introduction of purpose-built military uniforms and announced the ‘Women at the Shooting Range’ program. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-05: Poland's Defence Ministry defends women in military amid political dispute Polish Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka defended women in the military against discriminatory comments by Sławomir Mentzen, highlighting new female-specific uniforms. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/polands-defence-ministry-defends-women-in-military-amid-political-dispute ### 2026-09-08: Poland: Commentary on Deputy Defence Minister Sobkowiak-Czarnecka Commentary addresses recent media reports regarding Deputy Minister of National Defence Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka and her alleged ties to Germany, criticizing the political framing of her background. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/poland-commentary-on-deputy-defence-minister-sobkowiak-czarnecka --- Cite as: Polish political disputes involving Deputy Defence Minister. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/polish-political-disputes-involving-deputy-defence-minister