Rishi Sunak’s Greek tragedy

 

Rishi Sunak’s Greek tragedy

BY ROSA PRINCE

NOVEMBER 28, 2023 8:00 AM CET

By ROSA PRINCE

https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/rishi-sunaks-greek-tragedy/

 

RISHI LOSES HIS MARBLES: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is at the center of a diplomatic storm this morning after canceling a planned meeting with Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a spat over some cold, dead artworks. Playbook got a sniff of the brewing row when No. 10 reached out to say the planned prime ministerial tête-à-tête would instead feature Deputy PM Oliver Dowden, which seemed … odd, given Mitsotakis had said on telly he was due to meet Sunak. An hour or so later, the Greek PM announced he was cutting short his trip and heading home.

 

You say Parthenon Sculptures, I say Elgin Marbles: The row was triggered after Mitsotakis appeared on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, where he was outspoken about his distress at many of the sculptures still present in the British Museum. “It’s as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half and you would have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum,” he lamented, adding “this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon Sculptures.”

 

All Greek to me: Sunak is said to have been “irritated” by Mitsotakis’ words, so much so that he took the extraordinary step of calling off their talks, due at 12.45 p.m. today, while the Greek leader was halfway through a three-day trip to London. The Beeb’s Chris Mason quoted a “senior Conservative source” saying: “It became impossible for this meeting to go ahead following commentary regarding the Elgin Marbles prior to it.”

 

Undiplomatic: Rather than accept the switcheroo, Mitsotakis declined to meet Dowden and delivered a stinging rebuke: “I express my annoyance that the British prime minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place. Anyone who believes in the rightness and justice of his positions is never afraid of confronting arguments.” My colleague Nektaria Stamouli has a write-up.

 

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(Ancient) culture wars: The Greek PM was uninvited to tea with Rishi round about the time he was meeting Keir Starmer Monday evening — with the Tories eager to suggest the Labour leader was soft on the marbles. An insider close to the 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.

 

Ouch: A Labour spokesperson said of Sunak’s decision not to meet Mitsotakis: “If the prime minister isn’t able to meet with a European ally with whom Britain has important economic ties, this is further proof he isn’t able to provide the serious economic leadership our country requires.”

 

But but but: A senior Conservative highlighted recent reports, briefed out over the weekend, that Starmer is “open” to the return of the marbles if an arrangement can be agreed between the museum and the Greeks. They added: “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.”

 

Hitting back: Labour said by pulling out of the meeting Sunak had missed an opportunity to discuss illegal immigration with a key European ally. The insider added: “Keir and the Greek PM discussed immigration in their meeting so you’ve got the leader of the opposition as the U.K. voice on all these important issues.”

 

Hot takes: Political X was divided, with some saying the government had massively messed up with the mega snub to the Greeks, and others arguing Labour had walked into a trap by appearing shaky over the marbles. A third and vocal group asked whether all of the above is the grandaddy of dead cats designed to distract from stuff the government really doesn’t want to talk about: we’re looking at you, James Cleverly.

 

Playbook won’t be falling for that one: The full story of the home secretary’s travails follow.

 

But first more on the marbles: The Parthenon Project, which is working with both sides to try to find a joint solution that sees the sculpture reunified in Athens, said it was disappointed by the sudden collapse in talks. A spokesperson said: “It’s a shame the British prime minister feels he can’t discuss the subject of the Elgin Marbles with the Greek prime minister, especially given how much both countries stand to gain from a sensible resolution on this matter and the level public support for reunification.”

 

Look away now, Rishi Sunak: The Times leader column calls for the sculptures to be reunited and displayed “in their natural habitat.”

 

Want to know more about Mitsotakis? My POLITICO Colleague Anne McElvoy interviewed him for her Power Play podcast last month.

 

And now read this: Another top colleague, Graham Lanktree, wrote this fabulous POLITICO feature back in May on the knotty geo-diplomacy of countries returning (or not returning) stolen artefacts to their rightful place — focused on the famously cursed Koh-i-Noor diamond which is part of the Crown Jewels.

 

What else is in Sunak’s diary today? Not much, except the usual 9.30 a.m. Cabinet meeting.