USR PLUS

USR PLUS
LeadersDan Barna (USR)
Dacian Cioloș (PLUS)
Founded2 February 2019
Dissolved1 October 2021
Merger ofSave Romania Union (USR)
Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS)
Succeeded bySave Romania Union
Ideology
Political positionCentre
European affiliationAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
European Parliament groupRenew Europe
Colours Blue
Orange
SloganO Românie fără hoție (A Romania without thievery)
Senate
25 / 136
Chamber of Deputies
55 / 330
European Parliament
8 / 33
Mayors
46 / 3,176
County Councilors
108 / 1,340
Local Councilors
1,207 / 39,900
Website
www.usrplus.ro

USR PLUS was a Romanian progressive, liberal and centrist political alliance active between 2019 and 2021. Established on 2 February 2019 solely as an electoral alliance between the political parties Save Romania Union (USR) and the Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS) it was initially called 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance (Romanian: Alianța 2020 USR-PLUS). The alliance was formed to participate together in the May 2019 European Parliament election in Romania.

Subsequently, the two parties decided to sign a protocol for a political alliance for the 2019 Romanian presidential election and for the 2020 local and legislative elections as well.

The parties formally merged after a successful vote during an online congress 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 where Dacian Cioloș was elected to be the sole president of the party. In the same congress, the 24 members of the party's National Political Bureau were elected and the congress voted to conserve Save Romania Union as the statutory name of the party, setting aside provisions in the merger protocol recommending that the name be changed to USR PLUS.

History

Logo of USR PLUS when it was an electoral alliance

Dan Barna (USR) and Dacian Cioloș (PLUS), as leaders of the alliance, 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 the 2020 Romanian legislative election.

On 7 March 2019, the Central 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. 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. Deputy Nicușor 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". On March 8, the High Court of Cassation and Justice accepted USR-PLUS' appeal to the decision of the BEC to not to allow the alliance to be registered. The alliance's chosen slogan used to be Fără hoție ajungem departe, meaning "Without thievery we go far" and referring to the existing corruption in Romania. Nowadays, the slogan is O Românie fără hoție ("A Romania without thievery").

On 15 August 2020, members of the USR and PLUS held an online congress 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".

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.[citation needed] 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.

In early October 2021, Dacian Cioloș was elected president of the party in the congress. Subsequently, the 24 members of the National Political Bureau were elected and the name of the political party changed back to Save Romania Union, consequently dropping "USR PLUS" as a name.

2019 European Parliament elections

Members of the USR PLUS (then still an electoral alliance) thanking the people of Bucharest for the victory in the European Parliament elections of May 2019

On 4 April 2019, the 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance presented, during a press conference, its party platform for the European Parliament elections. The alliance's electoral offer covers four main subjects: "Justice and protection of the rights of the Romanians in the European Union", "welfare for society: health, education and anti-poverty measures", "European prosperity at home, in Romania", and "foreign and secure policy". Among the promises of the alliance are the creation of an applicable European Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification, Romania's accession to the Schengen Area and changes in education, agriculture and infrastructure. The alliance also supports the Accession of Moldova to the European Union.

On the occasion of the European Council meeting of May 9 in Sibiu, Romania, Ciolos had a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, President of France, focused on a discussion on the creation of a new political group in the European Parliament after the elections of May 26.

During the political campaign, the alliance organized two major party rallies attended by both leaders of the alliance, one on May 5 in Cluj-Napoca and the other one on May 12 in Timișoara. The Bucharest rally of 24 May was also attended by Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, who announced the formation of a new Pro-European reformist center parliamentary group, together with the La République En Marche! of Emmanuel Macron.

Electoral history

Legislative elections

Election Chamber Senate Position Aftermath
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
2020 906,962 15.37
55 / 330
936,862 15.86
25 / 136
 3rd  PNL-USR PLUS-UDMR government (2020–2021)
Opposition to PNL-UDMR minority government (2021)

Local elections

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 
Map of the results of the 2020 Romanian local elections. In blue are the counties in which USR-PLUS gained County Councillors (CJ) and in gray are the counties in which it did not pass the threshold to do so.
County Election Votes % Councillors +/- Aftermath
Alba 2020 13,949 9.5 (#3)
4 / 32
Increase 4 Opposition
Arad 2020 20,712 12.8 (#2)
5 / 32
Increase 5 Opposition
Argeș 2020 26,594 10.7 (#3)
4 / 34
Increase 4 Opposition
Bacău 2020 61,621 27.0 (#2)
3 / 36
Increase 3 Opposition
Bihor 2020 5,741 2.3 (#5)
0 / 34
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Bistrița-Năsăud 2020 5,476 4.4 (#4)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Botoșani 2020 5,539 3.6 (#5)
0 / 32
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Brăila 2020 5,837 5.3 (#4)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Brașov 2020 39,013 19.3 (#3)
8 / 34
Increase 8 PNL–USR-PLUS
Bucharest 2020 175,953 27.0 (#2)
17 / 55
Increase 2 USR-PLUS–PNL
Buzău 2020 11,866 6.6 (#4)
0 / 32
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Călărași 2020 46,932 37.3 (#2)
4 / 30
Increase 4 Opposition
Caraș-Severin 2020 6,281 5.3 (#4)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Cluj 2020 30,701 12.2 (#3)
5 / 36
Increase 5 Opposition
Constanța 2020 34,896 13.0 (#3)
5 / 36
Increase 5 PNL–USR-PLUS
Covasna 2020 1,836 2.7 (#9)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Dâmbovița 2020 6,054 2.9 (#5)
0 / 34
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Dolj 2020 17,563 6.7 (#4)
0 / 36
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Galați 2020 11,844 6.0 (#3)
0 / 34
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Giurgiu 2020 4,194 3.4 (#5)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Gorj 2020 6,373 4.2 (#5)
0 / 32
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Harghita 2020 1,330 1.3 (#7)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Hunedoara 2020 12,949 7.9 (#4)
2 / 32
Increase 2 Opposition
Ialomița 2020 6,096 5.7 (#4)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Iași 2020 39,416 14.6 (#3)
6 / 36
Increase 6 Opposition
Ilfov 2020 26,389 14.5 (#2)
5 / 32
Increase 5 Opposition
Maramureș 2020 14,143 7.7 (#4)
3 / 34
Increase 3 PNL–USR-PLUS
Mehedinți 2020 2,876 2.4 (#5)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Mureș 2020 6,908 3.4 (#6)
0 / 34
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Neamț 2020 19,564 10.7 (#3)
4 / 34
Increase 4 Opposition
Olt 2020 5,019 2.5 (#5)
0 / 32
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Prahova 2020 131.179 45.9 (#1)
8 / 36
Increase8 PNL–USR-PLUS (2020–2021)
Opposition (2021–present)
Sălaj 2020 6,851 7.0 (#4)
2 / 30
Increase 2 Support
Satu Mare 2020 7,072 5.4 (#5)
0 / 32
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Sibiu 2020 15,573 10.1 (#4)
4 / 32
Increase 4 Opposition
Suceava 2020 15,751 6.2 (#4)
0 / 36
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Teleorman 2020 6,143 3.8 (#3)
0 / 32
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Timiș 2020 55.155 21.5 (#2)
10 / 36
Increase 10 PNL–USR-PLUS (2020)
Opposition (2020–present)
Tulcea 2020 5,288 6.1 (#4)
0 / 30
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Vâlcea 2020 8,319 5.2 (#4)
0 / 32
Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary
Vaslui 2020 12,140 8.4 (#4)
3 / 34
Increase 3 Opposition
Vrancea 2020 58.610 41.0 (#2)
5 / 32
Increase5 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
Increase 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
Increase 4 USR-PLUS–PNL
Sector 3 (Bucharest)
28.48 / 100
2 34,236 25.7 (#1)
9 / 31
Increase 1 Opposition
Sector 4 (Bucharest)
29.88 / 100
2 28,999 28.5 (#2)
9 / 27
Increase 3 Opposition
Sector 5 (Bucharest)
25.24 / 100
3 14,838 16.5 (#3)
5 / 27
Steady 0 Opposition
Sector 6 (Bucharest)
43.40 / 100
1 30,657 24.8 (#3)
8 / 27
Increase 1 PNL–USR-PLUS
Cluj-Napoca
8.27 / 100
2 16,691 17.1 (#2)
5 / 27
Increase 5 Opposition
Timișoara
53.25 / 100
1 37.977 41.4 (#1)
13 / 27
Increase 13 PNL–USR-PLUS (2020)
USR-PLUS minority (2020–present)
Iași
30.31 / 100
2 24,785 29.0 (#2)
9 / 27
Increase 9 Opposition
Brașov
42.06 / 100
1 26,525 32.7 (#1)
12 / 27
Increase 12 PNL–USR-PLUS
Constanța
24.31 / 100
2 22,773 23.9 (#2)
9 / 27
Increase 9 PNL–USR-PLUS

Presidential elections

Election Candidate First round Second round
Votes Percentage Position Votes Percentage Position
2019 Dan Barna 1,384,450
15.02%
 3rd  not qualified

European Parliament elections

Election Votes % MEPs Position EU Party EP Group
2019 2,028,236 22.36
8 / 32
 3rd  Renew Europe

See also


This page was last updated at 2021-10-25 20:13 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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