Mitsotakis Steps Up Push for Return of Parthenon Sculptures

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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has stepped up pressure over the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, arguing that their future should be part of any broader discussion about closer ties between the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Speaking at a conference in Athens on Tuesday, Mitsotakis said the long-running dispute with the British Museum had failed to make meaningful progress and insisted the issue was no longer simply a bilateral matter between Greece and Britain.

“The Parthenon sculptures will be part of this debate. This is not just an issue for Greece, it’s an issue for Europe,” Mitsotakis said.

His comments come after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week that he was open to a range of options for Britain’s future relationship with Europe, including the possibility of rejoining the EU.

Mitsotakis said Greece would use the wider debate to intensify its campaign for the sculptures to return to Athens.

He said he planned to make the case “very forcefully” to Burnham and the British Museum, arguing for a cultural diplomacy approach that could provide a pathway towards their return.

Greece to intensify campaign

Greece has for years sought the permanent reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures with the monuments from which they were separated.

The sculptures were removed from the Acropolis in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin and were later acquired by the British Museum.

Greece maintains that they were unlawfully removed, while the British Museum and successive British governments have maintained that the sculptures were legally acquired.

Mitsotakis said previous discussions with the British Museum had effectively stalled.

His government has proposed allowing the British Museum access to other important Greek antiquities that have never previously left Greece as part of a potential agreement over the Parthenon Sculptures.

The British Museum has maintained that the sculptures are ultimately a matter for the institution, rather than the UK government.

A major legal obstacle remains in place. British legislation limits the museum’s ability to permanently dispose of objects in its collection, meaning any permanent transfer would require changes to the law.

Greece has already prepared a permanent home for the sculptures at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, where the missing sections of the Parthenon frieze and other sculptures could be displayed alongside those that remain in Greece.

Mitsotakis is expected to continue pressing the issue as Greece seeks to place the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures at the centre of its cultural diplomacy with Britain and Europe.

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