Greece asks Great Britain to return the Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Britain on Thursday to show “courage” and “political will” to resolve the dispute over the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles, held at the British Museum. In an article published in The Guardian, the Greek leader advocated reuniting the sculptures in Athens and turning the historic conflict into a cultural partnership between the two countries.

Mitsotakis recalled that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who arrived at Downing Street in July after Keir Starmer, had previously supported returning the marbles to Greece “without conditions.” Burnham subsequently qualified his position, saying in August that the matter rested exclusively with the British Museum.

The Greek prime minister’s appeal comes amid reports that negotiations launched in 2021 between the museum and Greek authorities have been blocked. The Telegraph reported that Athens was frustrated by the lack of concrete progress, while the British Museum said that its position and willingness to reach an agreement remained unchanged.

Mitsotakis rejects the idea of a loan that would imply recognition of the British museum’s ownership of the sculptures. Greece maintains that they were taken unlawfully in 1802 by Lord Elgin, while London says they were acquired legally. A 1963 British law prevents the British Museum from making restitutions.