Joining the Socialist International (SI), the party entered alliances with the Democratic Party (PD; forming Uniunea Social-Democrată or the Social Democratic Union during the 1996 legislative election), and took part in the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) governments of Victor Ciorbea, Radu Vasile, and Mugur Isărescu (briefly leading the coalition government with Alexandru Athanasiu as acting/ad interim PM in 1999).

A minority wing opposed to the merger survived as Partidul Social Democrat "Constantin Titel Petrescu", later reforming itself as the Social-Democratic Workers' Party, but was eventually dissolved in 2013.

Notes: 1 Emil Constantinescu was the common centre-right presidential candidate who was endorsed by the PSDR in 1992, as part of the CDR.

2 Petre Roman was the presidential candidate of the center-left alliance Social Democratic Union (USD).

3 Ion Iliescu was the presidential candidate of the alliance Social Democratic Pole of Romania (the same acronym as the main party - PDSR).