EU leaders agreed on a large post-coronavirus recovery package after a fourth night of talks.
You will see that the 27-nation bloc offers € 750 billion (£ 677 billion; $ 859 billion) in grants and loans to counter the economic impact of the pandemic.
Summit President Charles Michel said it was a “turning point” for Europe.
The talks that started on Friday saw a split between the nations most affected by the outbreak and “frugal” members who were concerned about costs.
The deal focuses on a € 390 billion grant program to member states most affected by the pandemic, according to a document seen by the AFP news agency.
It was reached along with an agreement on the block’s next seven-year budget, worth approximately € 1.1bn.
The summit, which began in Brussels on Friday morning, had more than 90 hours of talks and became the longest in the EU since a 2000 meeting in the French city of Nice, which lasted five days.
How do we get here?
Michel, President of the European Council, tweeted “Deal” shortly after the 27 leaders reached the agreement at 05:15 (03:15 GMT) on Tuesday.
The deal followed a long weekend of talks between EU countries, during which tempers often unraveled.
Member states were largely divided between those most affected by the outbreak and eager to revive their economies, and those most concerned about the costs of the recovery plan.
The self-proclaimed four frugal, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands, together with Finland, had opposed allowing € 500 billion to be offered in the form of grants to countries most affected by Covid-19. The group, led by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, originally set a limit of € 375 billion, in addition to wanting conditions such as the right to block requests.
Other members, like Spain and Italy, did not want to go below € 400 billion.
At one point, French President Emmanuel Macron hit his fists on the table when he told the “four frugal” that he believed they were jeopardizing the European project.
The 390 billion euro figure was suggested as a compromise, and the “frugal” nations were allegedly conquered by the promise of budget refunds.
How have European leaders reacted?
French President Emmanuel Macron said it was a “historic day for Europe”.
“The EU has never invested in this way in the future before,” Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès tweeted.
Michel said the bloc had “demonstrated collective responsibility … and our belief in a common future.”