But, as she herself remarked about her predecessor, Gerhard Schroder, who tried to buy himself time with a similar manoeuvre back in 2004, the two jobs belong together.
Mr. Duque has become increasingly unpopular since he took office last year and may well be punished by voters over the government's controversial plans for economic reform.
And May's critics say she should not pay Britain's fifty billion dollar divorce bill for existing liabilities without stronger guarantees of a trade deal.