The British Museum is worried that they might not be able to get a long-term partnership agreement with the Greek government over the return of the Parthenon Marbles. However, the Greek prime minister has made it clear that he isn’t willing to give them back anytime soon.
On January 11, the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that the ancient sculptures that were recently reported to be returning to Greece were not actually a result of a deal between the British Museum and Greece.
Mitsotakis said he would bring back the marbles during his second term as president. This means he will still be in office in July, and he will have to run for re-election in the summer. “If the Greek people trust us again, I believe we could achieve this target after the elections,” he said during a televised press conference with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou., according to the art newspaper.
Mitsotakis made some comments about wanting to partner with the British Museum in regards to the Parthenon. This is just a few days after a spokesperson for the British Museum confirmed that they are in ” constructive discussions” with the Greek government about a possible partnership.
This type of collaboration means the marbles will only be kept in Athens for a limited period before being returned to the London Museum. In December, Greek daily Ta Nea reported that such a deal was “at an advanced stage”.
But Mitsotakis’s comments have been backed up by other ministers in the Greek government. According to a report in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini published on 5 January, a spokesperson for the Greek ministry of culture, which is headed by Lina Mendoni, said: “We repeat, once again, our country’s firm position that it does not recognise the British Museum’s jurisdiction, possession, and ownership of the sculptures, as they are the product of theft.”
A prominent Greek lawyer named Sophia Hiniadou Cambanis, who counsels the Greek government on cultural matters, called the museum’s possession of the Parthenon Marbles “vandalistic” and “the quintessential case of plundered artworks” in an interview with The Art Newspaper.
Asked if the Greek people would ever accept a loan-type arrangement, she said: “It is self-evident that Greece does not recognise the British Museum’s ownership and possession of the sculptures.”
“It’s pretty obvious that no one in Greece thinks a deal for the return of the marbles is imminent,” said Yannis Andritsopoulos, the London Correspondent for Ta Nea, in an interview. “Prime Minister Mitsotakis has promised to achieve this if the Greek people re-elect him in the forthcoming general election. But Syriza, the main opposition party, has accused the government of trying to exploit the dispute for political gains.”
Additionally, Osborne is up against opposition from his own team. The UK’s Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, declared on January 11 that she believes the Parthenon Marbles “belong here in the UK.” Donelan said that the permanent repatriation of the marbles to Greece would “open the portal to the question of the complete contents of our museums” in a number of appearances, including those on The Media Show on BBC Radio 4 and The News Agents podcast. Returning the marbles would be “hazardous,” she continued, adding that “it’s imperative we stand up and safeguard our culture.”
In response to Donelan’s comments, a British Museum spokesperson told The Art Newspaper: “As the Chair of Trustees said recently, we operate within the law and we’re not going to dismantle the museum’s collection as it tells the story of our common humanity. We are however looking at long term partnerships, which would enable some of our greatest objects to be shared with audiences around the world. Discussions with Greece about a Parthenon Partnership are ongoing and constructive.”