Yesterday I did something that many people advised me against.

Flo Eckhoff
Dec 18, 2025
4 min read

I hung up yesterday morning and knew: From now on, it's no longer in my hands.

A phone call with a few questions and honest answers.

And then what? Someone else continues my story.

Today is Thursday, December 18, 2025.

A new article about me was published in the Hamburger Morgenpost today. And because I've been getting lots of messages since then asking things like, "How does it actually work with newspaper articles?" or "Did you know what was going to be written about you?", I'm going to give you a completely open behind-the-scenes look today.

How exactly is a newspaper article created? In this case, it was quite simple:

Yesterday morning I spoke on the phone with a really nice editor. She asked me questions. I answered – just as I think and feel. She then uses these answers to write an article.

But sometimes things turn out quite differently:

Editors come to my home
We'll meet somewhere
Sometimes it takes hours, sometimes only minutes.

However, one thing remains constant: I don't know beforehand what the final article will contain. It's always a surprise for me. And something some people don't know: If an article appears in the subscription section, I also have to subscribe to read it. I don't receive a draft. I don't approve anything. I have no influence on the publication.

I'm sharing this because I've received so many questions about it.

That's exciting, and every editorial team works differently.

Three questions from the Morgenpost article need more space.

In my interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost, I answered three questions that made me realize: This can't really be squeezed into a few newspaper sentences. That's why I'm writing about it here in more detail.

First and foremost:

I'm only speaking for myself here.

You are allowed to see it differently.

You are allowed to think differently.

And that's perfectly okay.

Why do many people in Germany no longer feel comfortable?

And why are more and more people leaving the country? The Hamburger Abendblatt also reported on this on December 13, 2025 – in an article about me. For me, several things are at play here.

Immigration & Security – Personal Observations

I have friends from very different backgrounds, nationalities, and life stories. I find it enriching to treat people with kindness, to be open-minded, and to go through life with an open heart. I believe it is right to offer protection to people who truly need help, who are refugees, or who are seeking safety for their children.

At the same time, I observe situations in everyday life that make me think:

There are cases where people who commit crimes are released after being held in custody or undergoing a psychological evaluation and then commit further offenses.
Such cases can affect people's sense of security and strain trust in processes and authorities.

What is important to me is:

I am speaking exclusively of individual cases that are known to me or that have been reported.
I do not generalize about groups or nationalities.
I want to offer a personal insight, not a political assessment or assignment of blame.

I don't express my political views publicly and I don't align myself with any party – and that will remain the case. This doesn't mean that political issues are irrelevant to me. On the contrary, they are important to me. At the same time, I prefer not to make public statements on them in order to avoid discussions or misunderstandings.

But what I do is:

I talk about topics that I encounter in everyday life.

About observations.

About experiences.

About questions that many people ask themselves – often quietly, often unspoken.

This is not a political statement. This is a personal view on social developments. I deliberately leave my political stance unanswered. Everyone is free to think, feel, research, and decide for themselves.

Salaries & working conditions – why many things no longer feel right

Perhaps these are first-world problems. Or perhaps not.

I am self-employed as a lactation consultant and birth companion.

And I'm seeing more and more midwives giving up their profession.

Why?

Insurance premiums are exploding
Regulations are becoming increasingly strict.
Working conditions are becoming increasingly stressful
Billing health insurance companies is time-consuming and nerve-wracking.

And that's just one example of many.

I believe almost every industry could tell its own story here.

Education – a major topic for us parents

To reiterate: This is my personal opinion.

I find the current curriculum to be very much based on outdated structures. There are so many studies that show that children learn differently and that the system often fails to address this.

Perhaps this also explains why there are more and more alternative educational pathways:

Waldorf
Montessori
independent schools
self-determined education