The presidents of Italy, Germany, and Austria called for a "strong European Union" in the face of attacks against democracy, urging voters to turn out in large numbers for the European elections scheduled for June.

The three presidents, who hold largely ceremonial positions, wrote, "Our core values - our values of pluralism, human rights, and the rule of law - are openly contested, if not openly threatened, all over the world."

They added, "What is at stake here is the foundation of our democratic system."

Sergio Mattarella, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Alexander Van der Bellen continued, "It is essential to defend the institutions and democratic values, ensure guarantees of freedom, independence of the media, the role of democratic political opposition, and the separation of powers, as well as the value of limits on the exercise of authority."

In Italy, opinion polls expect the "Fratelli d'Italia" party led by Prime Minister Georgia Meloni to receive 27 percent of the votes. In Germany, polls place the "Alternative for Germany" party in second place with 15 percent of the votes, while the Austrian Freedom Party is expected to make progress.

The presidents continued, "A strong European Union alone is sufficient to enable us to have enough weight to defend our freedom and democracy in an increasingly risky world and to work for a global system characterized by freedom and dignity for every individual, respect for every state, and respect for international law."