Negotiations regarding the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Athens have been halted due to the recent rejection of a proposal by the British Museum by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece. Mitsotakis pointed out in an opinion piece on Thursday that Greece cannot accept any arrangement that would imply recognizing the British Museum's ownership of these sculptures.
History of the Parthenon Sculptures
The Parthenon sculptures are part of a 2,500-year-old frieze that was removed from the Acropolis of Athens in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin, a British diplomat, and eventually sold to the British government. At that time, Greece was under Ottoman occupation, and the Acropolis was a military site with a Turkish guard. Since then, these sculptures have been displayed at the British Museum in London.
Proposals and Reactions
Mitsotakis expressed surprise at the proposal by Nicholas Colleen, the director of the British Museum, to use a loan of the valuable Bio painting, stating, "I do not believe this proposal is appropriate." He added that French paintings are returned as a whole without division to France, which is completely different from the status of the Parthenon sculptures that have been forcibly separated and dispersed.
The Prime Minister of Greece also referred to statements made by Andy Burnham, the current Prime Minister of Britain, in 2023, who called for the return of the sculptures unconditionally, saying, "I completely agree with this view." However, Burnham has since retreated from his position, noting that this matter ultimately concerns the British Museum.
There are many campaigns for the return of these sculptures to Greece, and negotiations between the museum and Greek officials have been ongoing for years. Athens claims that these sculptures were taken illegally and demands their display alongside other Parthenon sculptures in a dedicated museum in the Greek capital.
In 1963, a law prevented the permanent return of these sculptures to Greece, but this law does not prevent a loan. Mitsotakis emphasized that "what is now needed is the political will and courage to take decisive steps to reunify the sculptures and turn a historical dispute into a unique act of cultural friendship."
A spokesperson for the British Museum stated that their position and readiness for an agreement have not changed, and the UK Department of Culture declined to comment.
