The Finns Party's new leader isRiikka Purra, who replacesJussi Halla-aho after his four years in charge.

The Kirkkonummi MP was the strong favourite from start to finish, and becomes the first woman to lead the party.

She received 774 votes, around 59 percent of the 1,302 votes cast at the party conference in Seinäjoki.

In second place was Tampere MPSakari Puisto with 252 votes, and in third was Covid denialist Lohja councillorOssi Tiihonen with 181.

Purra takes charge of a party that is consistently polling among the top three political powers in the country, and has a chance of entering government after the next election which is due in 2023.

Step towards government

Purra's elevation to the leadership is seen as a boost to the chances of a right-wing government incorporating the National Coalition Party, which had refused to co-operate with Halla-aho when he assumed the leadership in 2017 due to his convictions for incitement and record of inflammatory statements.

In her victory speech Purra said that her party would not enter a coalition government unless it took a harder line on immigration.

"If a party is not ready to tighten immigration policy, then that's game over and we don't have a possibility of co-operating [with them]," said Purra.

New chapter for the party

Halla-aho said that he was pleased that there was a clear result on the first round of voting.

"It's been a pleasure to work in the field with Riikka Purra over the last four years," said Halla-aho. "She is a well-known and loved figure to Finns Party members. I believe that this starts a good chapter for the party."

Halla-aho announced his departure just before Midsummer in a surprise move for the party, which is aligned with the far-right National Rally in France and the Alternative for Germany in the European Parliament.

He assumed the leadership in 2017 when he beatSampo Terho in a leadership contest, prompting a split in the party, with the Blue Reform group forming from half the Finns Party MPs and remaining in government.

The remaining MPs went into opposition, led by Halla-aho. Earlier this year Purra had acomplaint rejected by the Council for the Mass Media in Finland after Yle accurately reported her use of language associated with the far-right 'Great Replacement Theory'.

Vice-chairs elected

The conference also elected a new party secretary. IncumbentSimo Grönroos was ousted by deputy MPArto Luukkanen, who is an ordained Lutheran priest and a historian.

Luukkanen won by 706 votes to 397.

In elections to the vice-chair positions,Leena Meri renewed her mandate with 79 percent of the vote.Mauri Peltokangas, a Vaasa MP currently facing charges of incitement to ethnic hatred, defeatedArja Juvonen in the election to the second deputy leadership by 649 votes to 259.

The third vice-chair position was filled bySebastian Tynkkynen, who beat serving vice-chairJuho Eerola. In 2019, Tynkkynen wasconvicted of hate speech.