Former Finnish premier announces run for presidency

Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb announced Wednesday that he will run as the National Coalition candidate in next year's presidential election, public broadcaster Yle reported.

Stubb's announcement came after the party said Monday that it would ask him to contest the race.

"In this global situation, the answer is simple: when the fatherland calls, you go," he said at a news conference in the capital Helsinki.

Stubb, 55, served as prime minister of the Nordic country from 2014 to 2015.

"As president, I want to seek more unifying than divisive factors in Finnish society," he added.

Another former Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, asked the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, to be the presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Urpilainen, who is also a former chair of the SDP, said it was an honor to be considered and she would announce her decision by November.

Presidential elections are expected to be held in Finland on Jan. 28, 2024, with a possible second round on Feb. 11.