The prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, isn't returning from Brussels as the European Council president.

The EU leaders met last night to decide who should take over two EU key positions in the autumn, but negotiations broke down and the leaders decided to give it another shot at a meeting on 30 August.

Names up in the air
Despite the rumours that swirled around Thorning-Schmidt being a possible candidate for the presidency, she maintained at a press conference after the meeting that she will stay in Denmark.

"Many names are floating around in this discussion, and one of the names has been my name," she said

Say it again
"I will therefore say what I have already told you and my colleagues all along: I like being prime minister in Denmark and that's why I'm not a candidate."

Thorning said yesterday that it wasn't certain what would be decided at the meeting, but today she was optimistic that the key positions will be filled at the next meeting in August.