BUDAPEST, Rabi'II 12, 1437, Jan 22, 2016, SPA -- Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban defended Poland on Friday after the European Union criticised the Polish government for tightening its grip on the justice system and the media, saying Brussels was "irritated" by strong nations, Reuters reported. The EU has asked Warsaw to explain new laws that boost government control over the top constitutional court and state media. Warsaw insists it has not breached European or Polish laws and says it has a strong political mandate for the changes. "I think the Poles have not done anything that should trigger European criticism ... they have not trespassed any thresholds that would underpin unjustified steps from ... rather self-assured (Western) democracies," Orban told public radio. "Brussels is simply irritated if there are strong nation states which speak clearly and in a straightforward way ... and which say that certain issues must be resolved in Warsaw and Budapest, and not in Brussels," Orban said. --SPA 14:01 LOCAL TIME 11:01 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w