Greek PM: deal to return Parthenon marbles could still be reached with ‘political will and courage’

Greece’s prime minister has rejected proposals to temporarily loan the Parthenon sculptures to Athens, insisting any agreement must avoid acknowledging the British Museum’s ownership of the marbles. In a direct comparison to France’s temporary return of the Bayeux Tapestry, Mitsotakis emphasized that Greece will not accept partial or conditional arrangements for its national monument. The statement underscores Athens’ firm stance on the sculptures’ permanent reunification, framing the dispute as one of principle rather than logistics. With political will cited as the key to resolving the long-standing dispute, the debate over cultural heritage and sovereignty continues to intensify.

But Kyriakos Mitsotakis says he cannot accept any arrangement that recognises British Museum’s ownership of the sculpturesKyriakos Mitsotakis: Britain would not cut up the Bayeux tapestry. So seize this moment and reunite the Parthenon sculptures in GreeceThe Greek prime minister has said a deal can still be reached to return the Parthenon marbles with “political will” but his country will not accept a loan in the style of the Bayeux tapestry’s visit from France.Writing for the Guardian, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece “cannot accept any arrangement that would require it to recognise the British Museum’s ownership of the sculptures, or a scheme that would mean we ‘borrow’ parts of our own monument”. Continue reading...