Democracy in post-Soviet countries is different from democracy in any other country, according to Moldova native Petru Culeac. Culeac, the current William and Kathy Hybl Fellow at IFES, is intrigued by the mechanics and subtleties of his country’s political system, as well as the attitude of its voters.

He came to IFES under the Hybl Fellowship to study party systems and electoral behavior in the post-Soviet country. The fellowship awards $5,000 annually to outstanding graduate students to conduct research in democracy development, election administration and civic participation in the political process. During the 10-week fellowship, Culeac will examine the reasons Moldovan citizens continue to vote for parties that do not fulfill their campaign promises.

Moldova declared its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Although it is a parliamentary democracy and a member state of the United Nations, WMO, UNICEF, CIS and other such entities, Moldova is the poorest nation in Europe. The country became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.

Culeac says many elderly voters in Moldova reminisce of better times under Soviet rule. These voters repeatedly choose candidates who promise tighter relationships with Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Those candidates, says Culeac, often fail to do anything progressive for the country while in office. But voters continue to vote for them despite the broken promises, which are forgotten as election time approaches again four years later.

While at IFES, Culeac will meet with IFES staff and utilize IFES resources in his research, including the organization’s Applied Research Center. Culeac, who has significant research and practical experience in the area of party systems and electoral behavior, possesses licences from the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova and the Invisible College of Moldova. He also earned a master’s degree from the European Institute of Advanced International Studies in France, and is now pursuing his second master’s degree at the University of Wyoming in international studies.

“We knew that if we brought Petru here he could hit the ground running,” said Katie Holzwart, research associate with IFES’ Applied Research Center.

Culeac is hopeful about Moldova’s democratic future. That hope drives his quest to eventually become a Moldovan politician, a position in which he hopes to promote change to citizens of his country.

“I’m not nostalgic, I try to look at things in a realistic way,” he said., adding that he has managed to divorce hope from the blind vote. “The possibilities of people are only limited by the boundaries that they establish themselves.”