# Social Liberal Union

The Social Liberal Union (Romanian: 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 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) 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.

### 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.
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.

## Members

| Party | Abbr. | Leader | Ideology |
| Social Democratic Party | PSD | Victor Ponta | Social democracy Social conservatism Christian left |
| National Liberal Party | PNL | Crin Antonescu | Liberal conservatism Christian democracy Social conservatism |
| Conservative Party | PC | Daniel Constantin | Social conservatism National conservatism Humanism |
| National Union for the Progress of Romania | UNPR | Gabriel Oprea | Social democracy Social liberalism Progressivism |
| Green Party (until 2013) | PV | Remus Cernea | Green politics Green conservatism Anti-corruption |

## Electoral history
### Legislative elections

| Election | Chamber | Chamber | Chamber | Senate | Senate | Senate | Position | Aftermath |
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Position | Aftermath |
| 2008 | did not exist$^1$ | 144 / 334 | did not exist$^1$ | 79 / 137 | – | Opposition to PDL-UNPR-UDMR government (2011–2012) |
| 2008 | USL government (2012) | 144 / 334 | | 79 / 137 |
| 2012 | 4,344,288 | 58.63 | 273 / 412 | 4,457,526 | 60.10 | 122 / 176 | 1st $^2$ | USL government (2012–2014) |
| 2012 | 4,344,288 | 58.63 | 273 / 412 | 4,457,526 | 60.10 | 122 / 176 | Alliance dismantled in March 2014 PSD-UNPR-UDMR-PC government (2014) PNL in opposition |
| 2012 | 4,344,288 | 58.63 | 273 / 412 | 4,457,526 | 60.10 | 122 / 176 | PSD-UNPR-ALDE$^3$ government (2014–2015) PNL in opposition |
| 2012 | 4,344,288 | 58.63 | 273 / 412 | 4,457,526 | 60.10 | 122 / 176 | 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 | County councilors | County councilors | Mayors | Mayors | Mayors | Local councilors | Local councilors | Local councilors | Popular vote | % | Position |
| Year | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Popular vote | % | Position |
| 2012$^1$ | 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 | County presidents | County presidents | Position |
| Year | Votes | % | Seats | Position |
| 2012$^1$ | 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 | First round | First round |
| Year | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Position |
| 2012 | Sorin Oprescu$^1$ | 430,512 | 53.79% | 1st |

##### Notes

$^1$ Independent candidate endorsed by USL