BUDAPEST (Reuters) – The European Union treats Poland unfairly and Brussels will never win its battle against the Poles, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday.

The European Commission took another step on Wednesday in its unprecedented investigation into the rule of law in Poland, saying it would send its criticisms to Warsaw by Monday unless it saw “significant progress” by then.

The EU executive opened an inquiry into whether the rule of law is under threat in Poland after the nationalist-minded government sought changes in the constitutional court that critics said undermined democratic checks and balances.

“Brussels’ stance against Poland is not just … they should give more respect to the Poles,” Orban said. “Brussels will never win this battle against the Poles.”