Greek PM: Deal to return Parthenon marbles possible with 'political will'

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has stated that a deal to return the Parthenon marbles to Athens could still be reached, provided there is sufficient "political will and courage." He emphasized that Greece would not accept any arrangement that requires it to recognize the British Museum's ownership of the sculptures or that would involve 'borrowing' parts of its own monument. Mitsotakis's intervention comes weeks after British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan suggested to the Financial Times that France's 10-month loan of the Bayeux tapestry to the UK could serve as a model for a deal. Cullinan noted there was "no cookie-cutter template" but highlighted the exchange as an example of successful international partnership. In his article for The Guardian, Mitsotakis differentiated the Parthenon marbles situation, noting that half of the frieze is already in Athens and that no one would suggest cutting the Bayeux tapestry in half. He recalled that Andy Burnham, a politician who once supported returning the marbles, would need "political will and courage" to facilitate a resolution, but stressed Greece's demand for the "reunification" of the marbles in Athens. Speculation has been rife regarding the status of talks between the British Museum and the Greek government about the antiquities' return, with some reports in The Telegraph suggesting they were on the verge of collapse. However, sources close to the negotiations disputed this characterization, while acknowledging a significant gap remains to be bridged in the long-running dialogue. The Parthenon marbles, also known as the Elgin marbles, were removed from Athens over 200 years ago by Lord Elgin, Britain's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Carved approximately 2,500 years ago by Phidias, the antiquities were part of the Parthenon's frieze. Elgin, facing bankruptcy, sold them to the British government in 1816. This has been a decades-long cultural dispute, with the UK's British Museum Act 1963 preventing the permanent removal of items from its collection, while Greece considers the objects to have been plundered. In 2023, George Osborne, the former UK chancellor and current chair of the British Museum, confirmed discussions with Greece but stated he was not seeking to change the law. Proposals at the time included sculptures being displayed in both London and Athens at different times, with Greece offering other treasures in return. The British Museum has stated its position and openness to a deal remain unchanged.