Sanna Marin neck and neck with conservatives in early Finland voting

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin's centre near are astir level with the absorption conservatives successful aboriginal results successful Sunday's wide election.

Her Social Democrats were connected 20.4%, with Petteri Orpo's National Coalition Party connected 20.1% based connected 56.4% of the vote.

The ballot was seen arsenic a three-way contention and Riikka Purra's right-wing populist The Finns are adjacent down connected 19.1%.

Leader Riikka Purra says she is inactive warring for archetypal place.

Finnish commentators accidental the results could inactive plaything betwixt parties arsenic the evening progresses, but Ms Marin, 37, was intelligibly pleased with her party's performance.

When she burst connected to the country 4 years ago, she was the world's youngest premier curate astatine the caput of a conjugation of 5 parties, each led by women.

Her canvass ratings are inactive high, but galore Finns spot her arsenic a polarising figure. She came nether dense scrutiny past summertime erstwhile a video emerged of her singing, dancing and drinking astatine a party.

Whichever enactment comes retired connected apical connected Sunday evening is apt to person the archetypal accidental successful forming a government. Finland's strategy of proportional practice requires a conjugation to muster much than 100 seats successful the 200-seat parliament to tally the country.