Athens accuses British PM of disrespect to Greeks as marbles row deepens

 

Athens accuses British PM of disrespect to Greeks as marbles row deepens

 

Kyriakos Mitsotakis expresses his ‘annoyance’ that Rishi Sunak called off a meeting at late notice

 

BY NEKTARIA STAMOULI

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 10:01 PM CET

https://www.politico.eu/article/greek-pm-slams-sunak-as-row-over-elgin-marbles-escalates/

 

ATHENS — A Greek government spokesman on Tuesday called British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis “unprecedented” and “disrespectful.”

 

“It is not something that is done,” Pavlos Marinakis told Skai TV and added that the move was “not only disrespectful to the Greek prime minister but also to the Greek people.”

 

Mitsotakis lashed out at Sunak on Monday in what would appear to be a bitter escalation of a long-running dispute over the Parthenon Marbles.

 

The two were scheduled to meet Tuesday, but Sunak called off their meeting late Monday, a move Greek government officials attribute to Mitsotakis’ recent strong insistence upon the return of the ancient sculptures from the British Museum.

 

“I express my annoyance that the British prime minister canceled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place,” Mitsotakis said. Spokesperson Marinakis added that, “We are assuming the obvious, that he was annoyed by comments reiterating the country’s fixed position on the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.”

 

“Anyone who believes in the rightness and justice of his positions is never afraid of confronting arguments,” Mitsotaks added on Monday, noting that Greece’s position on the issue of the so-called Elgin Marbles was well known.

 

The marble sculptures were removed from Athens by diplomat and art aficionado Lord Elgin in the 19th century and have been housed in London since then.

 

Campaigners — most famously the late singer and actress Melina Mercouri — have for years called for their return to Greece, and talks between the museum and Greek officials were held last year to discuss a potential loan arrangement. In March, however, Sunak ruled out any change to current legislation that stops the British Museum handing the marbles back to Greece permanently.

 

On Saturday, the Financial Times said Mitsotakis would discuss the issue with U.K. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer who says he wouldn’t block a potential agreement that would see parts of the sculptures loaned to Greece should he become prime minister.

 

On Sunday, Mitsotakis then bewailed the lack of progress on the issue in an interview with the BBC.

 

The Greek PM was uninvited to his meeting with Sunak around the time he met Starmer Monday evening — with the Tories eager to suggest the Labour leader was soft on the marbles.

 

A senior Conservative told POLITICO’s London Playbook that, “Starmer sold out to secure a meeting. It’s naive on his part and shows how little regard he has for British taxpayers who have looked after these for generations. Starmer is up to his old tricks of just telling the person in front of him what they want to hear.”

 

An insider close to the Starmer-Mitsotakis talks told Playbook the issue was “discussed, but wasn’t the focal point of the meeting.” They added that Labour sees the matter as one for the British Museum and the Greeks, not the U.K. government.

 

Downing Street confirmed Sunak didn’t have any public-facing meetings on Tuesday and that Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was due to meet Mitsotakis. But rather than accept the switcheroo, Mitsotakis declined to meet Dowden and left with a stinging rebuke of the British government.

 

This article has been updated.

 

Rosa Prince contributed reporting.