Social Liberal Union
The Social Liberal Union (Romanian: Uniunea Social Liberală, USL) was a grand coalition of several political parties in Romania. The alliance contained two major centre-left and centre-right parties, more specifically the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL).
Social Liberal Union Uniunea Social Liberală | |
|---|---|
| Coalition co-Presidents | Victor Ponta Crin Antonescu |
| Party Presidents | Victor Ponta (PSD) Crin Antonescu (PNL) Daniel Constantin (PC) Gabriel Oprea (UNPR) |
| Founded | 5 February 2011 |
| Dissolved | 25 February 2014 |
| Headquarters | Șoseaua Kiseleff nr. 57 011344 Bucharest |
| Ideology | Big tent |
| Political position | Syncretic |
| Colors | Red, yellow, blue |
| Senate[a] | 135 / 171 |
| Chamber of Deputies[a] | 289 / 404 |
| County Council Presidents[b] | 37 / 41 |
| County Councils[b] | 728 / 1,338 |
| Mayors[c] | 1,969 / 3,121 |
| Local Councils[c] | 20,420 / 39,121 |
| Website | |
^ Seats obtained at the 2012 election ^ Seats obtained at the 2012 election ^ Seats computed by adding all the seats obtained at the 2012 election by the Union and the constituent parties at the time of the election | |
History
Formation
The USL was formed on 5 February 2011[1] initially between the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and the Centre Right Alliance (ACD) of National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Conservative Party (PC).
2012 elections
In June 2012, the USL won the local elections by a landslide. After the elections, in September, the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR), originally a breakaway from PSD and PNL, together with the PSD formed the Centre Left Alliance (ACS)[2] and entered the USL.
At the parliamentary elections in December, the four-party coalition won about two thirds of the seats in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.[3]
Dissolution
After the Centre Right Alliance (ACD) of PNL and PC dissolved in November 2013, the PC turned leftwards and aligned more with PSD and UNPR. As a result, the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL) broke up the coalition on 25 February 2014 and entered opposition.[4]
In the 2014 presidential election, PSD, UNPR, and PC would designate Victor Ponta as their united candidate, while the PNL formed a new Christian Liberal Alliance (ACL) with the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), supporting Klaus Iohannis.
Electoral history
Legislative elections
| Election | Chamber | Senate | Position | Aftermath | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
| 2008 | did not exist1 | 144 / 334 | did not exist1 | 79 / 137 | – | Opposition to PDL-UNPR-UDMR government (2011–2012) | ||
| USL government (2012) | ||||||||
| 2012 | 4,344,288 | 58.63 | 273 / 412 | 4,457,526 | 60.10 | 122 / 176 | 1st 2 | USL government (2012–2014) |
| Alliance dismantled in March 2014 PSD-UNPR-UDMR-PC government (2014) PNL in opposition | ||||||||
| PSD-UNPR-ALDE3 government (2014–2015) PNL in opposition | ||||||||
| Supporting the technocratic Cioloș Cabinet (2015–2017) | ||||||||
- Notes
1 At the time of the formation (more specifically in February 2011) there were 144 Deputies (89 from PSD, 52 from PNL, and 3 from PC) and 92 Senators (53 from PSD and 39 from PNL)
2 USL was an alliance comprising two smaller alliances as follows: the Centre Left Alliance (ACS) and the Centre Right Alliance (ACD). The members of the Centre Left Alliance (ACS) were PSD (58 senators and 149 deputies) and UNPR (5 senators and 10 deputies). The members of the Centre Right Alliance (ACD) were: PNL (50 senators and 100 deputies) and PC (8 senators and 13 deputies).
3 ALDE was created in June 2015 from a merger of PLR (a splinter of PNL) and PC.
Local elections
National elections
| Year | County councilors | Mayors | Local councilors | Popular vote | % | Position | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | ||||
| 20121 | 4,203,007 | 49.68 | 723 / 1,338 | 2,782,792 | 33.99 | 1,292 / 3,121 | 2,630,123 | 32.74 | 12,668 / 39,121 | — | — | 1st |
| Year | County presidents | Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | ||
| 20121 | 4,260,709 | 49.71 | 36 / 41 | 1st |
- Notes
1 Seats won independently by member parties of the alliance are not shown here.
Mayor of Bucharest
| Year | Candidate | First round | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | Percentage | Position | ||
| 2012 | Sorin Oprescu1 | 430,512 | 53.79% | 1st |
- Notes
1 Independent candidate endorsed by USL
References
- ^ Romanian opposition parties join forces, SE Times, 06/02/2011
- ^ UNPR a format cu PSD Alianţa de Centru Stânga, parte a USL, Manciu Andi and Ioana Câmpean, Mediafax
- ^ "FOCUS Information Agency". FOCUS Information Agency.
- ^ "Romania's Liberals to leave ruling coalition, government". 25 February 2014.