It is time to move on to solving the issue of the Parthenon Sculptors, said Stanley Johnson, the father of the former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking to ERT today.
Stanley Johnson, former MEP and honorary citizen of southern Pelion in Greece, began by speaking in Greek about the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.
In reference to the way Sunak dealt with the Greek Prime Minister, Stanley Johnson described the situation as unfortunate. “He was very busy but Greece and the United Kingdom have historical relations and the meeting had to take place as we must not forget that the two countries have common goals”, he said.
Under no circumstances will the relations between the two countries be affected, Stanley Johnson emphasized, adding: “Every time I come to Greece, I understand the essence of bilateral relations. The United Kingdom may have left the European Union but it has not left Europe. We have deep appreciation for your country. Mr. Sunak in Parliament said that the meeting was canceled because Mr. Mitsotakis referred to an issue from the past, while he is aiming for the future”.
“It is time to move on to the issue of the Sculptures”, insisted Mr Johnson, explaining that “there is a legal question but Lord Elgin paid, and I think it is a mistake to think that they were legally acquired”. The other issue is that there is a collection of Sculptures in the UK that is important to reunite, he pointed out, adding that in recent years there has been damages.
Asked what the British people thought, Mr Johnson reiterated that he believed in the return of the Sculptors and cited opinion polls. Since 1998, 39% of citizens were in favor of the return and in 2002 the same percentages were found, while in 2021, 59% of the British answered that the Sculptures belong to Greece. Only 18% said no, he stressed, reiterating that the current for the return of the Sculptors is very strong.
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When asked about Boris Johnson, who is known to be an advocate of the return of the Parthenon Sculptors, his father recalled that as a student he had met Melina Mercouri on the matter and emphasized that “Boris is convinced of the matter, having a great knowledge of history”.
He was then asked for his predictions about the Conservatives remaining in power and his response was that he believes “the democratic process we inherited from Greece will bring the right results”.
Regarding his home in Pelion, Stanley Johnson said that he was there during the natural disasters and spoke of “an excellent mayor who has done an excellent job”. “I would like to spend more time in the area. Regarding climate change, it is very important to rejoin the European Environment Agency”.
Before closing the live link, Stanley Johnson wanted to emphasize again: “The return of the Sculptors will be a symbolic move. We have left the European Union, not the European perspective.”
