PARIS (APP) - French President Francois Hollande has sent one of the strongest warnings yet that Britain will have to pay a heavy price for leaving the European Union, adding to deep concern in financial markets.
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He called for "firmness" by the EU powers in Brexit negotiations to avoid the risk that other countries might seek to follow Britain's lead and leave the bloc.
The comments added to jitters on financial markets, where the pound Friday morning suffered its biggest drop since Britain voted in a June referendum to leave the EU.
"There must be a threat, there must be a risk, there must be a price, otherwise we will be in negotiations that will not end well and, inevitably, will have economic and human consequences," he said in a speech Thursday evening.
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"Britain has decided on a Brexit, I believe even a hard Brexit. Well, we must go all the way with Britain's will to leave the European Union.
"We have to have this firmness" otherwise "the principles of the European Union will be questioned" and "other countries or other parties will be minded to leave the European Union in order to have the supposed benefits and no downsides or rules."