In the Federation, Minmatar Expatriate Reaction Mixed to Shakor's Ascent
Jel – While the ascension of Maleatu Shakor to the position of Sanmatar and his proposed reforms to the government of the Republic have been largely greeted with open arms by the Republic's population, the Minmatar expatriate community in the Federation has been considerably more divided.
Nowhere is that more apparent than here in Sinq Laison, where the Minmatar minority in the Federation is most established. In the Minmatar neighborhoods of Jel V, the debate over Shakor's merits rages in bars, coffeehouses, and other gathering places. "Shakor wants to take us back to the dark ages," said Paol Tolangranner, a Sebiestor businessman. "We have been trying to claw our way past tribalism since the revolution, to put together a united front, and now he wants to throw all that away."
"The Republic has been broken for decades," countered Annes Urbrald, a Brutor working at a local foundry. "Parliament spends more time squabbling than governing. It's about time Shakor came in and cut through the crap. If things start looking up, I'll be able to move back home, which was always my intention. The Federation is a decent place to make a living, but it will never be home."
In general, the split seems to be occurring along class lines; older, more established Minmatar families in Sinq Laison, many of whom have lived here for two or three generations, seem less inclined to favor Shakor's policies, some even expressing suspicion at his true aims. First-generation immigrants, many of whom came to the Federation within the last decade, have expressed considerably more optimism about the prospects for the Republic under the Shakor administration.