TEMPO.CO, London-Britain plunged deeper into political crisis on Sunday after its vote to leave the European Union last Thursday, leaving EU and world officials confused about what to do next.
British Finance Minister George Osborne, who had warned during the campaign that a "Brexit" would cause financial market volatility, scheduled a statement for 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Monday, June 27, 2016, to provide reassurance about "financial and economic stability".
But, Boris Johnson, the leading "Leave" campaigner and favorite to become the next prime minister, sought to calm fears about Britain's economic future, saying it would continue to have access to the EU single market.
China's finance minister said fallout from Thursday's referendum "will cast a shadow over the global economy", while a senior official in Tokyo warned of the danger of "speculative, violent moves" in currencies.
Open political conflict spread from the Conservatives to the opposition Labour party, where senior lawmakers withdrew backing for their leader after traditional supporters rejected the party's pro-EU stand in droves.
Splits widened across the UK. Over 3.5 million Britons signed a petition demanding a re-run of the referendum, with the number climbing by the hour, and an opinion poll indicated that a large majority of Scots now want to break with the United Kingdom.
Scotland's leader promised she would do whatever it takes to keep her strongly pro-EU country in the bloc, including potentially vetoing legislation on a British exit.
But French President Francois Hollande declared there was no going back on "Brexit", saying: "What was once unthinkable has become irreversible."
Hollande said France and Germany must use their strong friendship to seize the initiative, warning that "separated, we run the risk of divisions, dissension and quarrels".
He and Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the issue by phone and an aide said they were in "full agreement on how to handle the situation".
Merkel had been more emollient on Saturday, calling for clear-headed negotiations with a "close partner", but German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel took a tough line on Sunday.
"We will not hold talks about what the EU can still offer the Britons to keep them in," Gabriel said.
REUTERS
