German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces a major challenge in battling the rise of the extreme right in the two upcoming state elections.

The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is likely to make gains in Saxony and Thuringia, both in the east of the country.

Current polls predict that the party will receive about 30 percent of the vote in each region.

This shift could make them the dominant force in the federal states where elections are held on September 1, where more than six million Germans live.

In both federal states, support for the AfD is growing, partly due to widespread dissatisfaction with Scholz’s government.

The Scholz government, plagued by internal conflicts and a weakening economy, faces some challenging months ahead.

Scholz’s coalition – consisting of the centre-left Social Democrats, the environmental Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats – is experiencing a steady decline in voter support.

At this point, they are in danger of no longer achieving the level of support they need to run state legislatures.

Meanwhile, the AfD is profiting from the anti-immigration sentiment and frustration with the federal government.

The party has been vocal in its opposition to German support for Ukraine and its stance on migration. The AfD remains unlikely to form a government on its own, as other parties are reluctant to join forces with its eurosceptic, anti-establishment stance.

The AfD secured its first mayoral posts and offices in the district administration last year, but the party has not yet achieved the same positions in the state government. In June, federal chairman Tino Chrupalla said: “The sun of government responsibility must rise for us in the East.”

The AfD is stirring up fears and frustrations regarding immigration and is relying on provocative election campaign images, such as a Thuringian poster with the promise of “Summer, sun, return migration” and an airplane with the inscription “Deportation-Hansa”.

The AfD leadership at the federal level criticized both the governing parties and former leader Angela Merkel’s CDU for their immigration policies, especially in light of recent outbreaks of violence attributed to migrants.

In August, during a celebration to mark the 650th anniversary of the city of Solingen in the west of the country, a Syrian extremist who was to be deported to Bulgaria killed three people and injured eight others in a knife attack.

According to the public prosecutor’s office, 26-year-old Issa Al H – whose last name is not mentioned for privacy reasons – turned himself in to the police the following day.

AfD leader Alice Weidel blames the governing parties for their “policy of uncontrolled mass immigration.”

Scholz acknowledged these challenges, noting that deportations have increased by 30 percent this year, but added that more needs to be done.

“We will have to do everything we can to ensure that those who are not allowed to stay in Germany are sent back and deported,” said Scholz, adding: “We have massively expanded the possibilities for carrying out such deportations.”

The proposal has been criticized by opposition leaders, who are calling for faster action.

This article contains reports from The Associated Press