Liz Truss announced her resignation as British prime minister in a move that underscored the volatility of Britain's political scene since the 2016 vote to leave the European Union sparked a battle for the country's direction.
The conservative party, which has a convincing majority in parliament and does not have to call elections in the next two years, will elect a new leader on October 28. In the race for the new British prime minister, the fifth in the last six years, former finance minister Rishi Sunak and former defense minister Penny Mordaunt will most likely face each other, but former prime minister Boris Johnson, who was dismissed in July after a series of ethical scandals.
The rapid demise of Trasova, who was mocked in parliament on Wednesday as she tried to defend her performance, has deepened the sense of chaos in Westminster at a time when the British economy is heading for recession with inflation at a 40-year high and millions of Britons trying to cope with the cost of living crisis.
Media and analysts in continental Europe, who by now are used to political turmoil in London, believe that the latest fiasco is actually an inevitable consequence of a project that was not grounded in reality from the start.
The French "Mond" believes that the decision to leave the EU is at the root of the current British crisis. "Since the referendum, British governments have demonstrated, and impressively, that Brexit only moves the United Kingdom away from the promised land of renewed sovereignty and unfettered freedom," the French newspaper said, adding that "no other EU member is in such a state."
The journalist of the German public service ARD, Annette Dieter, also believes that the current political situation is the result of the British decision to leave the European bloc. Trasova is "now the third leader of the Conservatives, after Theresa May and Boris Johnson, who failed to fulfill her Brexit promises", the journalist stated. Future historians will find the root of the "current madness" in British politics in 2016. "Firstly, because Brexit has so permanently damaged the British economy that any additional market uncertainty leads to far greater turbulence than ever before. Second, because Brexit and the irrational view of a sovereign Great Britain that can function alone in the globalized world of the 21st century, detached from international development, marked the beginning of the end of rational thinking on the island".
In Italy - whose political chaos the British "Economist" recently compared to that in Britain - "Corriere della Sera" stated that regardless of how the current "saga ends", Britain's credibility has been destroyed. The new debacle "unmasked the post-Brexit illusion of the existence of a fully sovereign state that can ignore international reality. No one is an island anymore," the Italian newspaper said.
Political leaders yesterday, despite some European diplomats gloating over the British political chaos in recent days, politely expressed their sympathy and hope that the new British leader will bring stability at a time when Europe is facing the double crisis of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising energy prices.
Macron, whom Trasova said is not clear whether he is "a friend or an adversary", said that it is important for Britain to find stability as soon as possible. "More than anything, we want stability," he told reporters ahead of the summit in Brussels. "On a personal level, I'm always sorry when a colleague leaves".
"Since the referendum, British governments have demonstrated, and impressively, that Brexit only moves the United Kingdom further away from the promised land of renewed sovereignty and unfettered freedom"
Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin emphasized Ireland's close economic ties with Britain and expressed hope that Britain will elect a new prime minister as soon as possible. "Stability is important in these times when a major war is underway on the European continent,"
US President Joe Biden thanked Liz Truss for her partnership on a number of topics, including Russia's aggression against Ukraine. "The US and the UK are strong allies and staunch friends - and that fact will never change."
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not mince words, stating that Britain "has never had such a disgraceful prime minister". The spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marija Zaharova, said that Trasova will be remembered for her "catastrophic illiteracy".
Within the Conservative Party, after yet another political meltdown, membership and individual MPs have openly expressed their dismay at the state of Britain's most successful political party.
When asked if they can recover from this, one lawmaker told Reuters: "Never, not in a million years."
The survey, carried out earlier this week, showed that the membership wants to bring back Boris Johnson, but according to bookmakers, Risha Sunak is the favorite for the new leader, who should be announced on Monday evening.
"Boss, I hope you enjoyed your vacation. It's time to go back," Conservative MP James Duddridge announced on Twitter with the message "bring back Boris".
The opposition Labor Party - and many voters - are calling for a general election. "She was not voted in the election and it is certain that the British people did not want the political decisions she made," 50-year-old Kelly Rogers told Reuters. "Therefore, the only right thing is for him to leave. But she is also the symbol of her party - it's absolute chaos".
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