In the September 1994 Drawsko affair, when the president undermined the defense minister's authority, the military gained greater autonomy. In effect, the government lost effective control and oversight over the military. Government crises and the lack of effective civilian oversight of the military will continue until Poland has adopted a new Constitution that establishes clear lines of authority between president and government and returns enough authority to the civilian defense ministry to provide effective oversight of the military. The absence of any clear command authority and of civilian control over the military is a recipe for disaster. Poland is restoring prestige to the military.
Parliament now has effective oversight of the defense budget.
Onyszkiewicz has begun restructuring the armed forces for NATO compatibility, but Poland's reform remains incomplete. The October 1989 constitution defined authority among the president, government, and national assembly, which only by majority can declare a state of emergency or war. This change effectively terminated Soviet control of Hungarian armed forces. The reform separated the armed forces from the defense minister and placed them under the president, who the communists thought would be their reform leader, Imre Poszgay. Indeed, most of Hungary's defense reform has involved amending the Constitution.