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Finland’s Marin faces tough re-election bid in national election

No party is seen as holding a decisive lead and the election is likely to be followed lengthy coalition talks, although whichever party wins on Sunday will have the first attempt at forming a government.

Marin, 37, is seen by fans around the world as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders and remains very popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates, but she has antagonised some conservatives with lavish spending on pensions and education that they see as irresponsible.

Voting began at 9 a.m. (0600 GMT) and closes at 8 p.m (1700 GMT). Partial results from early voting will be published shortly afterwards.

Opinion polls show Marin’s Social Democrats, the biggest party in the outgoing coalition government, in a dead heat with the rightist National Coalition Party and the nationalist Finns Party, with all three seen winning some 18.7-19.8% of ballots and so reliant on other smaller parties to form a government.

“The right wing…
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