The British people have spoken. What's less clear is what they said, beyond that they want change. That is not just their problem.
Thursday's election, in which no party won a majority in Parliament, has resulted in uncertainty about who runs Britain that could take days or even weeks to resolve, and the likelihood of another general election within months. This has wider implications for a world still dealing with the fallout from the global financial crisis. Confusion and political wrangling in one of the world's biggest economies will do nothing to settle markets roiled by Greece's debt crisis and the fear of contagion across European governments and banks.
A fall in the pound and British bonds and stocks is adding to pressure for a quick resolution to a hung parliament.
Opposition leader David Cameron and his Conservative Party made massive gains at the expense of the governing Labour Party of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, but fell short of the number of seats needed to form a government in their own right. The Liberal Democrats failed to make expected gains but their support may be key to deciding who is to be prime minister.
As the incumbent, Brown has the right by constitutional convention to try to form a majority, for which he would need the support of smaller parties as well as the Liberal Democrats. But he is awaiting the outcome of talks between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.
These talks are doubly fraught. On the one hand there is a sense of urgency about the need for austerity measures to tackle Britain's debt, which party leaders were not eager to discuss during the campaign. On the other, Cameron's offer to form a governing alliance with the Liberal Democrats is hedged with a hard line against giving more powers to the European Union, and on immigration and defence - the areas of some of the Liberal Democrats' most controversial policies. Even if these issues can be overcome, there remains the Liberal Democrat demand for reform of the voting system to give smaller parties broader parliamentary representation. Cameron has offered a committee of inquiry. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg wants proportional representation to be on the table, which will be strongly opposed by many Conservatives.
