German Olympic champion Mihambo fears for her life

Olympic long jump champion Malaika Mihambo has said she has started fearing for her life in connection with the political shift to the right in Germany, reported dpa.

"Of course, but fear doesn' help," Mihambo said in an interview with Thursday's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) garnered 20.8% in the recent general elections which made it the second strongest party behind the Christian Democrats (CDU) in the country.

The AfD is rated a confirmed right-wing extremist group by Germany's domestic intelligence agency in three eastern states.

‘One of the weaknesses of democracy is that parties can stand for election that reject its fundamental values," Mihambo said.

She said that one of the lessons from the Nazi era and World War II should be "that anti-democratic parties must have no place in a democracy" and that zero tolerance should be shown in this area.

Mihambo, who won Olympic gold in 2021 and also has two world titles, suggested that the rise of the right showed that "National Socialism has perhaps been dealt with intellectually, but not yet emotionally, and not by enough people.

"Mindfulness and vigilance are needed now - but also clear boundaries where they are needed," she said.

Mihambo said that fake news and disinformation campaigns on social are among the driving forces in the current climate.

"In the age of populism it is also about how you present information and disinformation. There is also a danger that disinformation that fuels fear, anger and hatred will not be corrected,’ Mihambo said.