BERLIN

Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) scored a clear victory on Sunday in regional polls in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.

Conservative Premier Daniel Guenther led his party to its best result in nearly three decades, winning 42.6% of the vote, according to projections by public broadcaster ARD.

Guenther’s huge popularity among voters contributed to a nearly 11% increase in the CDU’s vote, compared to the previous elections in 2017.

The environmentalist, pro-immigration Green Party came in second with 17.5%.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats suffered their worst state election yet in Schleswig-Holstein, with a record low of 15.7% of the vote, down from 27.2% five years ago.

Projections showed the Islamophobic, far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 4.8%, making it likely to miss the 5% threshold needed to enter the state parliament.