Finland, tired of austerity, go to the polls

The Social Democratic Party, headed by Antti Rinne, leads both of Finland's main opinion polls at around 19 percent. [AFP]

Finland voted Sunday in a general election in which the Social Democratic Party appeared set to topple the centre-right government after four years of spending cuts, with the far-right predicted to make large gains.

The left-wing social democrats lead Finland's two main opinion polls with about 19 percent of the vote, having campaigned against the austerity policies of Centre Party Prime Minister Juha Sipila and his Finance Minister Petteri Orpo -- leader of the conservative National Coalition Party.