Key facts
- Greece has rejected a proposed loan arrangement for the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum.
- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated Greece cannot accept any arrangement that requires it to recognize the British Museum's ownership of the sculptures.
- Mitsotakis dismissed the idea of "borrowing" parts of Greece's own monument.
- The Parthenon Marbles were removed from the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin.
- The British Museum's Director Nicholas Cullinan suggested the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry as a potential template.
- The British Museum spokesperson said its position and openness to a deal are unchanged.
Talks between Greece and the British Museum over the return of the Parthenon Marbles have stalled after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis rejected a proposed loan arrangement. Mitsotakis stated in an opinion piece published in The Guardian that Greece cannot accept any deal that would require it to recognize the British Museum's ownership of the sculptures or to "borrow" parts of its own monument.
Mitsotakis expressed surprise at British Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan's suggestion that the French loan of the Bayeux Tapestry could serve as a template, arguing that the tapestry is lent as an undivided whole and will return as such, whereas the Parthenon sculptures were "forcibly removed and dispersed." He reiterated Greece's objective of their permanent reunification.
The Greek leader also recalled past comments from UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling for the sculptures' return "no strings attached," though Burnham has since stated it is an issue for the British Museum. Campaigners have long advocated for the Marbles' return to Greece, arguing they were removed illegally and should be displayed with the rest of the Parthenon sculptures in Athens. A 1963 law currently prohibits the British Museum from permanently returning the Marbles, but not a loan.
A diplomatic row occurred in 2021 when a meeting between Mitsotakis and then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was canceled after Mitsotakis compared the removal of the sculptures to cutting the Mona Lisa in half. Mitsotakis stated on Thursday that "political will and courage" are needed to reunite the sculptures and transform the dispute into an act of cultural friendship. A British Museum spokesperson said the museum's position and openness to a deal remain unchanged, while the U.K.'s Department for Culture declined to comment.