"Where there's a will, there is a deal — we have one!” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker tweeted on Thursday, just hours ahead of a two-day EU summit in Brussels was set to commence.

After nearly three years of back and forth and just weeks before the UK's October 31 deadline, the United Kingdom and the European Union announced they had struck a new Brexit deal Thursday morning, and by Thursday evening the deal had been unanimously endorsed by the 27 remaining countries of the EU.

Ball now in UK Parliament's court

The next task falls to the UK Parliament, which will sit for an extraordinary session on Saturday to vote on whether to approve the Brexit agreement.

Johnson said there was "a very good case for voting for this deal" on all sides of the House of Commons. "I'm very confident that when MPs of all parties look at this deal they'll see the merits of supporting it,” he said.

Read more: +++ Brexit: EU and UK agree on deal — as it happened +++

However, Johnson's new plan faces significant opposition in a deeply divided parliament, with his rivals — among them Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Brexit party leader Nigel Farage — rejecting the new plan immediately after it was announced.

Johnson also lacks the support of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which said the deal isn't in Northern Ireland's interest.

Johnson's Conservatives do not have a majority in the 650-seat Parliament and will require at least 318 votes to get the deal ratified. The DUP has 10 votes. Parliament defeated a previous deal struck by Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, three times.

High stakes vote

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker made clear ahead of the EU summit that he had ruled out granting the UK another Brexit extension.

"There will be no prolongation," Juncker said. "We have concluded a deal so there is not an argument for a further delay."

Johnson said the deal allows the UK to leave the EU "in two weeks' time" in a tweet earlier on Thursday.

Read more: Brexit deal: What could it mean for the Northern Irish and British economies?

A final Brexit deadline could raise the stakes in the House of Commons when it votes on the proposed deal. It's designed to leave those parliamentarians reluctant to accept the deal as agreed by Johnson thinking that their choice is between this deal, and none at all, at the end of the month.

However, the decision on an extension is not Juncker's to make, but that of the leaders of the other 27 EU member states.

Mixed emotions from EU officials

Juncker said he was pleased that an agreement had been reached but unhappy to see Britain go. "All in all, I am happy, relieved that we reached a deal," he said. "But I am sad because Brexit is happening."

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe June 2016: 'The will of the British people' After a shrill referendum campaign, nearly 52% of British voters opted to leave the EU on June 23. Polls had shown a close race before the vote with a slight lead for those favoring remaining in the EU. Conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to stay, acknowledged the "will of the British people" and resigned the following morning.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe July 2016: 'Brexit means Brexit' Former Home Secretary Theresa May replaced David Cameron as prime minister on July 11 and promised the country that "Brexit means Brexit." May had quietly supported the Remain campaign before the referendum. She did not initially say when her government would trigger Article 50 of the EU treaty to start the two-year talks leading to Britain's formal exit.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe March 2017: 'We already miss you' May eventually signed a diplomatic letter over six months later on March 29, 2017 to trigger Article 50. Hours later, Britain's ambassador to the EU, Tim Barrow, handed the note to European Council President Donald Tusk. Britain's exit was officially set for March 29, 2019. Tusk ended his brief statement on the decision with: "We already miss you. Thank you and goodbye."

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe June 2017: And they're off! British Brexit Secretary David Davis and the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, kicked off talks in Brussels on June 19. The first round ended with Britain reluctantly agreeing to follow the EU's timeline for the rest of the negotiations. The timeline split talks into two phases. The first would settle the terms of Britain's exit, and the second the terms of the EU-UK relationship post-Brexit.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe July-October 2017: Money, rights and Ireland The second round of talks in mid-July began with an unflattering photo of a seemingly unprepared British team. It and subsequent rounds ended with little progress on three phase one issues: How much Britain still needed to pay into the EU budget after it leaves, the post-Brexit rights of EU and British citizens and whether Britain could keep an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe December 2017: Go-ahead for phase 2 Leaders of the remaining 27 EU members formally agreed that "sufficient progress" had been made to move on to phase two issues: the post-Brexit transition period and the future UK-EU trading relationship. While Prime Minister Theresa May expressed her delight at the decision, European Council President Tusk ominously warned that the second stage of talks would be "dramatically difficult."

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe July 2018: Johnson, Davis resign British ministers appeared to back a Brexit plan at May's Chequers residence on July 6. The proposal would have kept Britain in a "combined customs territory" with the EU and signed up to a "common rulebook" on all goods. That went too far for British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis, who resigned a few days later. May replaced them with Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe September 2018: No cherries for Britain May's Chequers proposal did not go down well with EU leaders, who told her at a summit in Salzburg in late September that it was unacceptable. EU Council President Tusk trolled May on Instagram, captioning a picture of himself and May looking at cakes with the line: "A piece of cake perhaps? Sorry, no cherries." The gag echoed previous EU accusations of British cherry-picking.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe November 2018: Breakthrough in Brussels EU leaders endorsed a 585-page draft divorce deal and political declaration on post-Brexit ties in late November. The draft had been widely condemned by pro- and anti-Brexit lawmakers in the British Parliament only weeks earlier. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab resigned along with several other ministers, and dozens of Conservative Party members tried to trigger a no-confidence vote in May.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe December 2018: May survives rebellion In the face of unrelenting opposition, May postponed a parliamentary vote on the deal on December 10. The next day, she met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to seek reassurances that would, she hoped, be enough to convince skeptical lawmakers to back the deal. But while she was away, hard-line Conservative lawmakers triggered a no-confidence vote. May won the vote a day later.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe January 2019: Agreement voted down The UK Parliament voted 432 to 202 against May's Brexit deal on January 16. In response to the result, European Council President Donald Tusk suggested the only solution was for the UK to stay in the EU. Meanwhile, Britain's Labour Party called for a no-confidence vote in the prime minister, her second leadership challenge in as many months.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe March 2019: Second defeat for May's deal May tried to get legal changes to the deal's so-called Irish backstop in the weeks that followed. She eventually got assurances that the UK could suspend the backstop under certain circumstances. But on March 12, Parliament voted against the revised Brexit deal by 391 to 242. EU leaders warned the vote increased the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit. Two days later, MPs voted to delay Brexit.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe March 2019: Extension after second defeat Following the second defeat of May's divorce deal, the European Council met in Brussels on March 21 to decide what to do next. EU leaders gave May two options: delay Brexit until May 22 if MPs vote for the withdrawal deal or delay it until April 12 if they vote against the deal. If the deal were to fail again in Parliament, May could ask for a long extension.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe March 2019: Brexit deal rejected a third time On March 29, the day that the UK was supposed to leave the EU, British lawmakers voted for a third time against May's deal — rejecting it this time with a vote of 344 to 286. Following the latest defeat, May approached the main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in an attempt to find a compromise, angering hardline Brexiteers in her own Conservative party.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe April 2019: Brexit delayed until Halloween With the April 12 deadline looming after the third defeat of May's deal, EU leaders met again in Brussels to discuss a second delay. The only question was how long should it be? In the end, the UK and EU agreed to a "flexible" extension until October 31 — which can end sooner if the Brexit deal is approved. The UK had to take part in EU elections in May because their exit wasn't secured in time.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe May 2019: Prime Minister Theresa May resigns Weeks of talks between Prime Minister Theresa May and the Labour party to reach a deal proved unsuccessful and further eroded her political capital. She triggered an angry backlash from her party after she tried to put the option of a second referendum on the table. The series of failures led May to announce her resignation, effective June 7, in an emotional address.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe June 2019: Search for a new prime minister After Theresa May announced on June 7 that she would leave office, other members of her Conservative party began clamoring for the top job. Within a month, the leadership battle came down to Jeremy Hunt (left), an EU proponent who fears a no-deal scenario, and Boris Johnson (right), one of the main proponents of Brexit.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe July 2019: Prime Minister Boris Johnson At the end of July 2019, Johnson was officially named Theresa May's successor as British prime minister. "We are going to energize the country, we are going to get Brexit done by October 31," he said after he was elected leader of the Conservative Party.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe September 2019: Johnson's election threat Conservative rebels and opposition MPs backed efforts to delay an October 31 Brexit deadline in fear of a no-deal departure. In response, Johnson called for a general election, saying his government cannot rule without a mandate after he stripped 21 rebel MPs of their Conservative status. The Labour Party said it would not back elections until legislation to block a no-deal Brexit was in place.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe September 2019: Prorogation 'unlawful' In late September, Britain's highest court ruled that Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament ahead of the UK's planned exit was unlawful. "This was not a normal prorogation in the run-up to a Queen's Speech," said the Supreme Court. Political rivals immediately called on Johnson to leave his post. Johnson said he would abide by the court ruling, though said he "strongly" disagreed.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe October 2019: A new deal British Prime Minister Boris Johnson managed to secure a deal with European negotiators that would allow the UK to leave the EU in an orderly manner. The deal received unanimous backing from the leaders of 27 other member states. But an attempt to get the UK Parliament to sign off on the deal failed. Instead, Parliament pushed for the Brexit deadline to be extended until the end of January 2020.

Brexit timeline: Charting Britain's turbulent exodus from Europe December 2019: Lawmakers vote for Johnson's Withdrawal Bill On December 22, UK lawmakers vote for Prime Minister Johnson's European Union withdrawal bill, which will see a leave date of January 31 2020 enshrined in law. Getting a majority to vote to pass the bill in the lower house has proven a major sticking point for the PM, but following a general election Johnson's Conservative party won control of the house and the bill passed with a 124 majority.



It was a sentiment echoed by other players in the negotiations, including Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, and Donald Tusk, president of the European Council.

"On a more personal note, what I feel today is sadness," Tusk told reporters. "Because in my heart, I will always be a Remainer. And I hope that if our British friends decide to return one day, our door will always be open."

Read more: Merkel: Brexit deal 'better for everyone'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said achieving the deal had been "real hard work," and called the agreement "a compromise for all sides" and "an opportunity to have good, close relations with Britain in future as well."

Merkel also said the EU and the UK need to wrap up a free trade agreement as soon as possible following the UK's exit from the bloc.

"There is an essential difference compared with when Theresa May was prime minister," said Merkel. "Then it was not clear how the future relations would look, whether membership of the customs union or not. Now it is quite clear."

How is this deal different?

Concessions have been made on both sides, notably, on the UK's side, that Northern Ireland will remain aligned to the standards of the internal market and the customs union, said DW correspondent Georg Matthes.

"If you look at the EU side, the main concession here really is that it will be UK customs officials who will be controlling that the EU's customs laws will be applied when it comes to goods crossing from the UK into Northern Ireland," he said.

Read more: What's new in this Brexit deal?

In non-Brexit EU summit news

As the UK struggles to leave the bloc, Albania and North Macedonia are attempting to be allowed in. Merkel insists that she will make a case for opening accession negotiations with the two Balkan countries.

Macron has rejected those talks, even though the European Commission, Parliament and almost all EU member states feel the conditions for starting negotiations have been met. It's not just a conflict between Macron and Merkel, but between France and the rest of the EU.

Read more: EU summit poses burning questions beyond just Brexit

Personnel issues will also be a topic of discussion at the summit: Germany's former-Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen was set to replace Juncker as the head of EU's top executive body, the EU Commission, on November 1.

However, EU lawmakers have now decided to delay the switch by a month, after the deputies rejected three of von der Leyen's nominees for the Commission, leaving her scrambling for replacements.

mmc/sms (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

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