| Social Liberal Humanist Party | |
| Native Name: | Partidul Umanist Social Liberal |
| Native Name Lang: | ro |
| Abbreviation: | PUSL |
| President: | Cristian Popescu Piedone[1] |
| General Secretary: | Simona Alice Man |
| Leader1 Title: | Leader in the Senate |
| Leader2 Title: | Leader in the Chamber of Deputies |
| Founder: | Dan Voiculescu |
| Split: | Conservative Party |
| Headquarters: | Piața Presei Libere nr. 1, Sector 1, Bucharest |
| Position: | Centre[2] |
| Europarl: | Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats[3] [4] |
| Colors: | Blue |
| Seats1 Title: | Senate |
| Seats2 Title: | Chamber of Deputies |
| Seats3 Title: | European Parliament |
| Seats4 Title: | Mayors |
| Seats5 Title: | County Councillors |
| Seats6 Title: | Local Council Councilors |
| Country: | Romania |
The Social Liberal Humanist Party (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Partidul Umanist Social Liberal, PUSL), formerly Humanist Power Party (Social-Liberal) (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Partidul Puterii Umaniste (social-liberal), PPU-SL) is a centrist[5] political party in Romania. It was founded in 2015 by members of the Conservative Party (PC) who did not want to merge with the Liberal Reformist Party (PLR), led by Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu.[6]
In the summer of 2015, the Conservative Party (PC), led by Daniel Constantin, merged with the Liberal Reformist Party (PLR), creating the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE).[7] At the same time, PC MEP Maria Grapini opposed this decision, criticizing the disappearance of the party's ideology and announced that she would join a new group, the Party of Humanist Power (PPU).
When it launched in 2015, the party claimed to have a centre-right political doctrine.[8] Later, the party began to reject the left-right political spectrum, promoting conservative humanism and traditional values as the third way.[9] The departure of several people from the People's Movement Party into the Social Liberal Humanist Party strengthened the conservative outlook of the party.[10]
The party also has populist rhetoric centered around its leader, Cristian Popescu Piedone.[11]
PUSL member Nicolae Păun claimed that the party promotes humanist, socialist and liberal values.[12]
In 2018, former Sector 4 mayor, Cristian Popescu Piedone join PPU and reentered politics,[18] having previously been prosecuted for the Colectiv nightclub fire back in 2015.[19] He was accounted responsible and in 2019 sentenced to 8 years in prison, but the sentence was not decisive and was attacked by the Bucharest Court of Appeal. With all the legal problems and controversy surrounding Piedone, PPU still endorsed him as candidate in the 2016 Romanian local elections for mayor of Sector 4[20] as well as in the 2020 Romanian local elections for mayor of Sector 5, winning the latter.[21]
PUSL has also been labeled by the press as Dan Voiculescu's personal party, who has been described as the de facto leader of the party.[22] [23] [24] [25]
| Election | Chamber | Senate | Position | Aftermath | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
| 20161 | 2,599 | 0.04 | 3,066 | 0.04 | (2017–2019) | |||
| (2019) | ||||||||
| (2019–2020) | ||||||||
| (2020) | ||||||||
| 20202 | 70,536 | 1.19 | 59,465 | 1.01 | (2020–2021) | |||
| (2021) | ||||||||
| (2021) | ||||||||
| (2021–present) | ||||||||
Notes:
1 The MPs were elected on the PSD and ALDE lists.[26]
2 The MPs were elected on the PSD list.
| Election | County Councilors (CJ) | Mayors | Local Councilors (CL) | Popular vote | % | Position | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
| 2016 | 21,916 | 0.26 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 64,232 | 0.79 | 58,680 | 0.73 | 48,578 | 0.68 | 64,232 | 0.79 | |||||
| Election | Candidate | First round | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | Percentage | Position | |||
| 2020 | 1 | 250,690 | |||
| 2024 | TBD | TBD | TBD | ||
Notes:
1 PSD candidate, Gabriela Firea, was endorsed by PPU