Social Liberal Union
The Social Liberal Union (Romanian: Uniunea Social Liberală, USL) was a coalition of political parties in Romania. The alliance contained both centre-left and centre-right parties.
Social Liberal Union Uniunea Social Liberală | |
---|---|
Leader | Victor Ponta (PSD) Crin Antonescu (PNL) Daniel Constantin (PC) Gabriel Oprea (UNPR) |
Co-President | Victor Ponta |
Co-President | Crin Antonescu |
Founded | 5 February 2011 |
Dissolved | 25 February 2014 |
Headquarters | Șoseaua Kiseleff nr. 57 011344 Bucharest |
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 | |
https://web.archive.org/web/20120823103117/http://uslonline.ro/ | |
^ 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 into 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 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 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 | |||
2012 | 4,344,288 | 58.63 | 273 / 412 |
4,457,526 | 60.10 | 122 / 176 |
1st1 | USL government (until March 2014) |
Alliance dismantled in March 2014 PSD-UNPR-UDMR-PC government (until December 2014) PNL in opposition | ||||||||
PSD-UNPR-ALDE2 government (until November 2015) PNL in opposition | ||||||||
Supporting Cioloș Cabinet (Ind.) |
Notes:
1 USL was an alliance of two smaller alliances: Centre Left Alliance and Centre Right Alliance. Centre Left Alliance members: PSD (58 senators and 149 deputies) and UNPR (5 senators and 10 deputies). Centre Right Alliance members: PNL (51 senators and 101 deputies) and PC (8 senators and 13 deputies).
2 ALDE was created in June 2015 from a merger of PLR (a splinter of PNL) and PC.
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.