Polish Ministry of Defence: Chwałek and Łapiński Appointed New Deputy Ministers

Sebastian Chwałek, Secretary of State at the MoD, would be tasked with overseeing modernization and military healthcare. He is also going to supervise the defence sector companies. Marek Łapińński, Undersecretary of State at the MoD, would be responsible for defence strategy, budget and social matters. Tomasz Zdzikot, Secretary of State at the MoD, appointed on 16th January this year, would be supervising the legal department, ICT and infrastructure, as well as the higher education of military profile. Tomasz Szatkowski, who had been the Undersecretary of State within the previous structure of the Ministry, will be dealing with the international matters, on the other hand.

Moreover, the information we’ve obtained on Friday was confirmed, as the PM has removed the Deputy Ministers of Defence from their offices. The decision concerned Bartosz Kownacki, Dominik Smyrgała and Bartłomiej Grabski. 

Sebastian Chwałek was born on 2nd May 1977 in Cracow. He graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University. In 2013 he began to work on his PhD dissertation, studying at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Lazarski University in Warsaw.

Between 2005 and 2007 he was working as the head of the Legislation and Analyses Group at the Parliamentary Club Bureau of the Law and Justice [PiS] party. In 2007 he was working as the PM’s consultant, also managing the Department of Parliamentary Issues of the PM’s office. At the time he also was collaborating closely with the late Deputy PM, Przemysław Gosiewski. Between 2007 and 2015 he was the vice-director of the Bureau and Head of the Legislation and Analyses Group at the Parilamentary Club of the Law and Justice party.

On 18th November 2015 he was appointed the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and Administration. On 10th May 2017 he became the Secretary of State at the aforesaid Ministry, also becoming the Government’s Plenipotentiary for Repatriation. At the Ministry of Interior and Administration he was dealing with the matters of public administration, supervising the Voivodes (Governors) and working closely with the local authorities. He was also dealing with legal and legislative issues and the matters related to religious denominations and minorities. Chwałek was also supervising the Ministry’s healthcare and the operations undertaken by the repatriation and citizenship department.

Marek Łapiński was born on 10th March 1963 in Zamość. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University of Lublin. He also graduated from the European Study of Crime Problems Study programme, organized by the University of Łódź. In 2004 he also completed the Auditor’s Training at the Polish Supreme Audit Office.

Since 1993 he has been working as an officer of the Border Guard. On 31st December 2015 he was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard. On 16th May 2017 he obtained the rank of Brig. General, within the BG’s structures.

Between 2002 and 2015, with some interruptions along the way, Łapiński was working at the Polish Supreme Audit Office as the Chief Specialist of Domestic Audit at the Department for Transportation and Transport Systems. He was also a servant at the Office for State Protection (UOP). Between 1998 and 2001 he was working as the Deputy General Customs Inspector. He was one of the co-founders of the “Customs Police”. Łapiński was also organizing and supervising the operational, investigative, audit, archive and records departments, as well as the Forensic Lab. He was also the head of the Ministerial Commission for Breaches of the Public Finances Discipline, working together with the Ministry of Interior and Administration.

Marek Łapiński co-authored the project for reforms in Georgia, as well as the bills introducing amendments in the security sector, internal affairs and customs and tax audit, all prepared between 2002 and 2003. 

Back in 1989 he served in the military, in the Reserve Officer Cadet School.

Polish MoD