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USR PLUS | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leaders | Dan Barna (USR) Dacian Cioloș (PLUS) |
| Founded | 2 February 2019 |
| Dissolved | 16 April 2021 |
| Succeeded by | Save Romania Union |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre[6] |
| European affiliation | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party |
| European Parliament group | Renew Europe[7] |
| Colours | Blue Orange |
| Slogan | O Românie fără hoție ('A Romania without thievery') |
| Constituent parties | USR PLUS |
| Website | |
| www | |
USR PLUS was aRomanianprogressive,liberal, andcentristpolitical alliance active between 2019 and 2021. Established on 2 February 2019 solely as anelectoral alliance between the political partiesSave Romania Union (USR) and theFreedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS) it was initially called2020 USR-PLUS Alliance (Romanian:Alianța 2020 USR-PLUS). The alliance was formed to participate together in the May2019 European Parliament election in Romania.[8]
Subsequently, the two parties decided to sign a protocol for a political alliance for the2019 Romanian presidential election[9][10] and for the 2020local andlegislative elections as well.
The alliance was dissolved when the two parties formally merged after a successful vote during an onlinecongress on 15 August 2020 and the approval of this event by the Court of Appeal of Bucharest on 16 April 2021. Furthermore, the party celebrated in early October 2021 a new congress whereDacian Cioloș was elected to be the sole president of the party.[11] In the same congress, the 24 members of the party's National Political Bureau were elected and the congress voted to conserveSave Romania Union as the statutory name of the party, setting aside provisions in the merger protocol recommending that the name be changed toUSR PLUS.[12][13]
Dan Barna (USR) andDacian Cioloș (PLUS), as leaders of thealliance, declared on 2 February 2019 that the two parties reached an agreement to participate jointly in European elections and that the project was a first step towards a possible success in the2020 Romanian legislative election.[14][15]
On 7 March 2019, theCentral Electoral Bureau (BEC) rejected the application for registration of the 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance for the European Parliament elections, motivating that Barna and Cioloș were not listed as presidents of the two parties in the Register of Political Parties.[16] Barna was elected president of the USR in October 2017, and Cioloș was elected president of the PLUS in February 2019. Both requested their registration as presidents at the Bucharest Tribunal, but until the Alliance's registration they did not receive a final decision.[17]DeputyNicușor Dan, former president of the USR, declared that "I found, together with the legal team, the solution that would allow me to legally countersign the protocol of the USR-PLUS Alliance".[18] On March 8, theHigh Court of Cassation and Justice accepted USR-PLUS' appeal to the decision of the BEC not to allow the alliance to be registered.[19] The alliance's chosenslogan used to beFără hoție ajungem departe, meaning "Without thievery we go far" and referring to the existingcorruption in Romania.[20] Nowadays, the slogan isO Românie fără hoție ("A Romania without thievery").[21]
On 15 August 2020, members of the USR and PLUS held an onlinecongress to decide whether to formally unite the two parties or not, with 84.65% of the participants voting in favor of a merger. This new party would still be called USR (Save Romania Union) and would be led by Barna and Cioloș until a judicial decision on the merger was made; then, the party would be renamed to "USR PLUS".[22]
The parties, USR and PLUS, officially and legally merged into one single party on 16 April 2021 after the approval of this by the Court of Appeal of Bucharest.[23] In addition, the party was said to be preparing for a new congress, probably held in the autumn of 2021, to vote a single leadership, with Barna and Cioloș announcing that they would both participate in this vote.[11]
In early October 2021,Dacian Cioloș was elected president of the party in the congress.[24] Subsequently, the 24 members of the National Political Bureau were elected, while it was decided that the statutory name of the party remainsSave Romania Union.[12][13]
On 4 April 2019, the 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance presented, during a press conference, itsparty platform for the European Parliament elections.[25] The alliance's electoral offer covers four main subjects: "Justice and protection of the rights of theRomanians in theEuropean Union", "welfare for society: health,education andanti-poverty measures", "European prosperity at home, in Romania", and "foreign and secure policy".[26] Among the promises of the alliance are the creation of an applicable EuropeanMechanism for Cooperation and Verification, Romania's accession to theSchengen Area and changes in education,agriculture andinfrastructure. The alliance also supports theAccession of Moldova to the European Union.[27]
On the occasion of theEuropean Council meeting of May 9 inSibiu, Romania, Ciolos had a meeting withEmmanuel Macron,President of France, focused on a discussion on the creation of a new political group in theEuropean Parliament after the elections of May 26.[28]
During thepolitical campaign, the alliance organized two major party rallies attended by both leaders of the alliance, one on May 5 inCluj-Napoca[29] and the other one on May 12 inTimișoara.[30] TheBucharest rally of 24 May was also attended byGuy Verhofstadt, leader of theALDE Group in the European Parliament, who announced the formation of a newPro-European reformistcenterparliamentary group, together with theLa République En Marche! of Emmanuel Macron.[31]
| Election | Chamber | Senate | Position | Aftermath | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
| 2016 | did not exist1 | 30 / 329 | did not exist | 13 / 136 | – | Opposition toPSD-ALDE government (2019) | ||
| Opposition toPSD minority government (2019) | ||||||||
| SupportingPNL minority government (2019–2020) | ||||||||
| 2020 | 906,962 | 15.37 | 55 / 330 | 936,862 | 15.86 | 25 / 136 | 3rd | PNL-USR PLUS-UDMR government (2020–2021) |
1All MPs were members ofUSR (PLUS had no seats in parliament at the time).
| Election | County Councillors (CJ) | Mayors | Local Councillors (CL) | Popular vote | % | Position | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | ||||
| 2020 | 478,659 | 6.65 | 65 / 1,340 | 490,362 | 6.58 | 28 / 3,176 | 504,563 | 6.85 | 1,207 / 39,900 | 696,478 | 8.89 | 3rd |
| County | Election | Votes[32] | % | Councillors | +/- | Aftermath |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alba | 2020 | 13,949 | 9.5 (#3) | 4 / 32 |  4 | Opposition |
| Arad | 2020 | 20,712 | 12.8 (#2) | 5 / 32 | 5 | Opposition |
| Argeș | 2020 | 26,594 | 10.7 (#3) | 4 / 34 | 4 | Opposition |
| Bacău | 2020 | 61,621 | 27.0 (#2)[33] | 3 / 36 [34] | 3 | Opposition |
| Bihor | 2020 | 5,741 | 2.3 (#5) | 0 / 34 |  0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Bistrița-Năsăud | 2020 | 5,476 | 4.4 (#4) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Botoșani | 2020 | 5,539 | 3.6 (#5) | 0 / 32 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Brăila | 2020 | 5,837 | 5.3 (#4) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Brașov | 2020 | 39,013 | 19.3 (#3) | 8 / 34 | 8 | PNL–USR-PLUS |
| Bucharest | 2020 | 175,953 | 27.0 (#2) | 17 / 55 | 2 | USR-PLUS–PNL |
| Buzău | 2020 | 11,866 | 6.6 (#4) | 0 / 32 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Călărași | 2020 | 46,932[35] | 37.3[36] (#2) | 4 / 30 [37] | 4 | Opposition |
| Caraș-Severin | 2020 | 6,281 | 5.3 (#4) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Cluj | 2020 | 30,701 | 12.2 (#3) | 5 / 36 | 5 | Opposition |
| Constanța | 2020 | 34,896 | 13.0 (#3) | 5 / 36 | 5 | PNL–USR-PLUS |
| Covasna | 2020 | 1,836 | 2.7 (#9) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Dâmbovița | 2020 | 6,054 | 2.9 (#5) | 0 / 34 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Dolj | 2020 | 17,563 | 6.7 (#4) | 0 / 36 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Galați | 2020 | 11,844 | 6.0 (#3) | 0 / 34 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Giurgiu | 2020 | 4,194 | 3.4 (#5) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Gorj | 2020 | 6,373 | 4.2 (#5) | 0 / 32 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Harghita | 2020 | 1,330 | 1.3 (#7) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Hunedoara | 2020 | 12,949 | 7.9 (#4)[38] | 2 / 32 | 2 | Opposition |
| Ialomița | 2020 | 6,096 | 5.7 (#4) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Iași | 2020 | 39,416 | 14.6 (#3) | 6 / 36 | 6 | Opposition |
| Ilfov | 2020 | 26,389 | 14.5 (#2) | 5 / 32 | 5 | Opposition |
| Maramureș | 2020 | 14,143 | 7.7 (#4) | 3 / 34 | 3 | PNL–USR-PLUS |
| Mehedinți | 2020 | 2,876 | 2.4 (#5) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Mureș | 2020 | 6,908 | 3.4 (#6) | 0 / 34 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Neamț | 2020 | 19,564 | 10.7 (#3) | 4 / 34 | 4 | Opposition |
| Olt | 2020 | 5,019 | 2.5 (#5) | 0 / 32 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Prahova | 2020 | 131.179[33] | 45.9 (#1)[33] | 8 / 36 [39] | 8 | PNL–USR-PLUS (2020–2021) |
| Opposition (2021–present)[40] | ||||||
| Sălaj | 2020 | 6,851 | 7.0 (#4) | 2 / 30 | 2 | Support |
| Satu Mare | 2020 | 7,072 | 5.4 (#5) | 0 / 32 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Sibiu | 2020 | 15,573 | 10.1 (#4) | 4 / 32 | 4 | Opposition |
| Suceava | 2020 | 15,751 | 6.2 (#4) | 0 / 36 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Teleorman | 2020 | 6,143 | 3.8 (#3) | 0 / 32 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Timiș | 2020 | 55.155 | 21.5 (#2) | 10 / 36 | 10 | PNL–USR-PLUS (2020) |
| Opposition (2020–present)[41] | ||||||
| Tulcea | 2020 | 5,288 | 6.1 (#4) | 0 / 30 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Vâlcea | 2020 | 8,319 | 5.2 (#4) | 0 / 32 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| Vaslui | 2020 | 12,140 | 8.4 (#4) | 3 / 34 | 3 | Opposition |
| Vrancea | 2020 | 58.610[33] | 41.0 (#2)[42] | 5 / 32 [42] | 5 | Support (2020–2021) |
| Opposition (2021–present) |
| City | Mayor | # | Local Council | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | Percentage | Council | Swing | Aftermath | |||
| Sector 1 (Bucharest) | 40.95 / 100 | 1 | 26.675 | 30.0 (#2) | 9 / 27 | 1 | USR-PLUS–PNL (2020–2021) |
| USR-PLUS minority (2021–present) | |||||||
| Sector 2 (Bucharest) | 36.91 / 100 | 1 | 33,145 | 29.1 (#2) | 9 / 27 | 4 | USR-PLUS–PNL |
| Sector 3 (Bucharest) | 28.48 / 100 | 2 | 34,236 | 25.7 (#1) | 9 / 31 | 1 | Opposition |
| Sector 4 (Bucharest) | 29.88 / 100 | 2 | 28,999 | 28.5 (#2) | 9 / 27 | 3 | Opposition |
| Sector 5 (Bucharest) | 25.24 / 100 | 3 | 14,838 | 16.5 (#3) | 5 / 27 | 0 | Opposition |
| Sector 6 (Bucharest) | 43.40 / 100 | 1 | 30,657 | 24.8 (#3) | 8 / 27 | 1 | PNL–USR-PLUS |
| Cluj-Napoca | 8.27 / 100 | 2 | 16,691 | 17.1 (#2) | 5 / 27 | 5 | Opposition |
| Timișoara | 53.25 / 100 | 1 | 37.977 | 41.4 (#1) | 13 / 27 | 13 | PNL–USR-PLUS (2020) |
| USR-PLUS minority (2020–present) | |||||||
| Iași | 30.31 / 100 | 2 | 24,785 | 29.0 (#2) | 9 / 27 | 9 | Opposition |
| Brașov | 42.06 / 100 | 1 | 26,525 | 32.7 (#1) | 12 / 27 | 12 | PNL–USR-PLUS |
| Constanța | 24.31 / 100 | 2 | 22,773 | 23.9 (#2) | 9 / 27 | 9 | PNL–USR-PLUS |
| Election | Candidate | First round | Second round | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | Percentage | Position | Votes | Percentage | Position | ||
| 2019 | Dan Barna | 1,384,450 | 15.02% | 3rd | not qualified | ||
| Election | Votes | % | MEPs | Position | EU Party | EP Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,028,236 | 22.36 | 8 / 32 1 | 3rd | — | RE |
Note:1USR-PLUS members:USR andPLUS (4 MEPs each).
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