Social Liberal Union Explained

Social Liberal Union
Native Name:Uniunea Social Liberală
Leader1 Title:Coalition co-Presidents
Leader1 Name:Victor Ponta
Crin Antonescu
Leader2 Title:Party Presidents
Leader2 Name:Victor Ponta (PSD)
Crin Antonescu (PNL)
Daniel Constantin (PC)
Gabriel Oprea (UNPR)
Founded:5 February 2011
Dissolved:25 February 2014
Successor:Social Democratic Union (claimed, not legal successor)[1] [2]
Headquarters:
011344 Bucharest
Ideology:Big tent
Position:Syncretic
Colors:Red, yellow, blue
Seats1 Title:Senate
Seats2 Title:Chamber of Deputies
Seats3 Title:| seats3 = | seats4_title = County Council Presidents| seats4 = | seats5_title = County Councils| seats5 = | seats6_title = Mayors| seats6 = | seats7_title = Local Councils| seats7 = | symbol = | website = https://web.archive.org/web/20120823103117/http://uslonline.ro/| country = Romania| country2 = | state = | footnotes = 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

The Social Liberal Union (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Uniunea Social Liberală, USL) was a grand coalition of several political parties which was active in Romania during the early to mid 2010s. The alliance contained two major political parties, one major centre-left and one centre-right, more specifically the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL), respectively.

History

Formation

The USL was formed on 5 February 2011[3] 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)[4] 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.[5]

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.[6]

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

ElectionChamberSenatePositionAftermath
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
2008did not exist1did not exist1
20124,344,28858.634,457,52660.102
(2014)
PNL in opposition
(2014–2015)
PNL in opposition
Notes1

2

3

Local elections

National elections

Notes1

Mayor of Bucharest

Notes1

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Scandal pe sloganul "USL trăieşte".PNL va contesta folosirea denumirii USL pe materialele alianţei PSD-PC-UNPR . 5 May 2014 .
  2. Web site: Ivan, către PNL: Dacă sloganul "USL trăieşte" deranjează, vom spune altfel. Dar mesajul va fi exact acelaşi .
  3. http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2011/02/06/nb-12 Romanian opposition parties join forces
  4. http://www.mediafax.ro/politic/unpr-a-format-cu-psd-alianta-de-centru-stanga-parte-a-usl-10004650 UNPR a format cu PSD Alianţa de Centru Stânga, parte a USL
  5. Web site: FOCUS Information Agency. FOCUS Information Agency.
  6. Web site: Romania's Liberals to leave ruling coalition, government. 25 February 2014.