Legislative elections were held in Romania on 9 December 2012. The Social Liberal Union (USL) of Prime Minister Victor Ponta won an absolute majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Despite the severe weather in parts of the country, the turnout was at 42%, slightly higher than the last legislative elections held in 2008 which saw a turnout of 39%. The Social Liberal Union (USL) obtained a huge majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, with 60% and 59% respectively of the votes and in MP mandates, a record number of 395 seats. Far behind, the Right Romania Alliance (ARD) came in second place with only 17% of the vote and 80 seats, losing about half of what they won in 2008. The ARD was officially dissolved after the elections. People's Party – Dan Diaconescu (PP–DD) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ) were the only other political groups that won seats in the Senate. Several parties for ethnic minorities also received individual seats in the Chamber of Deputies. Background Protests Following weeks of demonstrations against austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund for a multi-billion US dollar loan, Prime Minister Emil Boc resigned from his post on 6 February 2012. The opposition, represented by Social Liberal Union leaders Victor Ponta and Crin Antonescu, then called for early elections. However, as the three parties behind the government (PDL, UDMR, UNPR) still relied on a slight parliamentary majority, an interim solution was agreed with the opposition that the government could stay in power until the next elections, conditional of electing a political independent technocrat as the new prime minister. The former Foreign Intelligence Service Director Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu was appointed interim prime minister on 9 February as a result. The government announced the intention to hold legislative and local elections at the same time, by lengthening the term of the local elected officials (Mayors, Local Councils, County Councils and County Councils Presidents). It was suspected the attempt to delay local elections were related to the fact, that massive street protests had erupted, and at the same time the Opposition political alliance Social Liberal Union went on strike in Parliament, pushing for early legislative elections to be called one or two weeks after local elections in June. Initially, the government proposed an election date in November 2012, but as the mayoral mandates expire