Great Britain and Greece have long been arguing over the return of friezes from the Parthenon temple in Athens. Now British Prime Minister Sunak caused a scandal.
A dispute over the return of art treasures from the British Museum to Greece has sparked a diplomatic scandal. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak canceled a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis in London at short notice.
British cabinet member Mark Haper indirectly confirmed that the culture dispute was the reason. The British government has repeatedly made its position on the “Elgin Marbles”, as the frieze pieces are called in Great Britain, clear: they should remain part of the permanent collection in the British Museum, Harper told the BBC.
“As if the Mona Lisa was divided”
The Greek Prime Minister reacted indignantly. Mitsotakis said he was upset about the cancellation, which came just a few hours before the scheduled date. “Greece’s positions on the Parthenon sculpture issue are well known,” he wrote. “I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart, as well as the major challenges of the international situation: Gaza, Ukraine, the climate crisis, migration.”
Previously, Mitsotakis had once again strongly demanded that London return the frieze parts of the Parthenon temple on the Athens Acropolis. It would be like dividing the “Mona Lisa” and showing one half in the Louvre in Paris and the other in the British Museum, the head of government told the BBC.
If half were shown in the Louvre and the other half in the British Museum: “Do you think your viewers would then appreciate the beauty of the painting?” That’s exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures. “That’s why we continue to push for a deal that would ultimately be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum, but would allow us to bring the sculptures back to Greece.”
The Parthenon frieze, with missing parts recreated in plaster (white), is on display at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
Athens has been demanding restitution for decades
The British government rejected Mitsotakis’ comparison, the PA news agency reported. A spokesman for Prime Minister Sunak emphasized that they had looked after the sculptures for generations and wanted to continue to do so. Asked whether there could be a loan deal, he said they had no plans to change their approach. He didn’t specifically ask Sunak about short-term or new ideas, his point of view was pretty clear.
The dispute over ownership of the antiquities has been going on for decades. The Parthenon Temple (“Virgin’s Chamber”) on the Acropolis is one of the most famous surviving architectural monuments of ancient Greece. At the beginning of the 19th century, the British diplomat Lord Elgin had the best-preserved marble slabs and sculptures from the Parthenon frieze dismantled and brought to England. There he sold it to the British Museum in 1816.