Former centre-left MEP wins Danish elections

"We did it... Today we've written history," Thorning-Schmidt told cheering crowds after the results emerged. Denmark's Social Democrats have been in opposition for the past 10 years and they are likely to form a coalition government with the social-liberal "Radikale Venstre" and the leftist euro-sceptic "Enhedslisten".

Through her marriage to Stephen Kinnock, the 44-year old Thorning-Schmidt is the daughter-in-law of Neil Kinnock, former leader of the British Labour Party and EU commissioner, and Glenys Kinnock, former UK minister for Europe.

Trained at the "College of Europe" and a former MEP between 1999-2004, Thorning-Schmidt is set to "devote more attention to EU politics, which she knows from inside," Denmark's ambassador to Belgium Poul Skytte Christoffersen told this website.

But he also noted that ministers - mostly in charge of the technical dossiers to be prepared under the rotating EU presidency - will be new to the job and lack the contacts with fellow ministers and responsible MEPs in the EU legislature. "The will have a busy time catching up," said the Danish diplomat, with Copenhagen taking over the EU presidency at the beginning of 2012.

In terms of policy, the Social Democrats have announced they are to roll back the enhanced border checks policy - a concession made by the centre-right to the anti-immigrant People's Party - which has put Denmark on collision course with the European Commission and Germany.

"The Social Democrats are in favour of combating cross-border crime, but not through reinforced border checks, rather through police cooperation. This is more in line with EU law," Christoffersen said.

The winning leftist bloc - a novelty in the EU states where most elections have brought rightist parties to power in recent years - will however struggle to form a coherent policy on economics and taxation. Anti-euro views from the "Enhedslisten" which scored well and allowed the bloc to win over the centre-right may also be taken onboard.

In terms of negotiations on the next EU budget, which will have to be carried out next year under the Danish and Cypriot EU presidencies, Christoffersen predicts that the leftist government may turn out to be less "restrictive" than the current one when it comes to EU spending.

"Climate change may climb higher on the agenda, given that now it's almost a forgotten topic," he added.