Former Prime Minister of Finland Alexander Stubb at the EPP congress in Helsinki, November 7, 2018. Lehtikuva/Jussi Nukari via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHELSINKI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said on Wednesday that he will be a candidate in Finland's presidential election due in January of 2024. His announcement came after incumbent premier Petteri Orpo on Sunday asked Stubb to become the National Coalition party's candidate. "In this geopolitical situation the answer is unequivocal: when the fatherland calls, then we go," Stubb told reporters. Stubb, currently a professor and director of the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, held several ministerial posts before serving as prime minister between 2014 and 2015.

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Persons: Finland Alexander Stubb, Lehtikuva, Jussi Nukari, Alexander Stubb, Petteri Orpo, Stubb, Pekka Haavisto, Mika Aaltola, Olli Rehn, Anne Kauranen, Terje Solsvik Organizations: EPP, REUTERS, Rights, National Coalition, European University Institute, Bank of Finland, Thomson Locations: Finland, Helsinki, Finnish, Florence, Italy