Essayah was elected to the European Parliament in 2009. Before that, she served as a Finnish MP in 2003-2007, heading the Christian Democrats’ parliamentary group since 2004.

She did not make it back into Parliament at the next election, but she was selected for the post of party secretary.

Essayah, who was born in Finland to a Moroccan father and Finnish mother, first gained fame as a race walker, winning the world championship in the sport in 1993 and the European title the following year. Her last major international race was at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

All contenders announced

Essayah is likely to be the last candidate to join the presidential race. The other seven parliamentary parties—the National Coalition, the Social Democrats, the Finns Party, the Centre Party, the Left Alliance, the Green League, and the Swedish People's Party—have already revealed their nominees.

The first round of the presidential election will be held on Sunday, January 22. If no candidate receives over half of the votes cast, the second round will be arranged for the two candidates with most votes on February 5.

The next president will be Finland’s 12th.