Kyriakos Mitsotakis returns to the issue of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece with an article in the British newspaper the Guardian, on the occasion of the arrival in Britain of the Bayeux Tapestry, an iconic work of medieval art. The Prime Minister uses the reunification of the historic tapestry as an example to argue that works of cultural heritage acquire their full meaning when preserved as unified ensembles.

In the article, titled “Britain would not dismember the Bayeux Tapestry. Let’s seize this moment and reunite the Parthenon Sculptures in Greece,” Mr. Mitsotakis stresses that the case of the Parthenon represents an “exceptional case” concerning the restoration of the physical, aesthetic and historical integrity of a monument of global value.

At the same time, he refers to discussions with the administration of the British Museum, noting that Athens is seeking the permanent reunification of the Sculptures rather than a loan agreement, while describing a potential solution as an opportunity for a new cultural partnership between Greece and the United Kingdom.

The article by Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the Guardian

Below is the full article by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the Guardian, titled “Britain would not dismember the Bayeux Tapestry. Let’s seize this moment and reunite the Parthenon Sculptures in Greece”:

For the first time in almost 1,000 years, the Bayeux Tapestry is once again in Britain. Its arrival is a major cultural event and reminds us that, in an age when screens are ubiquitous, historical objects continue to capture the public imagination.

The British Museum describes the Tapestry as one of the “wonders of the medieval world”. Yet the museum already houses many wondrous works, among them one that is instantly recognisable: the Parthenon Sculptures, which were removed and illegally taken from Athens to Britain more than two centuries ago by Lord Elgin.

There are striking similarities between the two works. Both were conceived as unified works, to be seen and understood as a whole. In the case of the Parthenon Sculptures, this relationship is also architectural: they were carved as integral elements of the monument itself. No one would seriously contemplate cutting the surviving portion of the Tapestry in two and displaying one half in London and the other half in Bayeux, claiming that this is an appropriate way to understand it. Yet that is exactly what happened to the Parthenon Sculptures. A single masterpiece was dismembered, and its surviving sections are now separated, mainly between London and Athens.

The Sculptures tell a story of unique historical significance. Not only of gods and heroes, but also of the everyday life of citizens in ancient Athens. They gave visual expression, rendered in marble, to the religious, civic and political identity of fifth-century BC Athens. The Parthenon frieze, in particular, remains one of the world’s most compelling depictions of the collective life of the city from which democracy emerged. It is a striking celebration of Athenian democracy.

Unlike the Sculptures, the Bayeux Tapestry survives as a single work almost 70 metres long. It too tells a story, beginning with the events that preceded the Norman Conquest and continuing through the Battle of Hastings and the death of Harold. What is remarkable about the work lies not only in its individual scenes, but in the way one experiences them as a whole, as something unified.

The case for reunification is not an argument for emptying the world’s museums. The Parthenon is a specific and exceptional case. The issue is not simply about ownership or legal title. It is about restoring the physical, aesthetic and conceptual integrity of a dismembered monument of exceptional global value.

The surviving Sculptures should be displayed to the public together, simultaneously, with a visual connection to the monument for which they were created. The Acropolis Museum was specifically designed to make this possible.

Greece cannot accept any arrangement that would require it to recognise the British Museum’s ownership of the Sculptures, nor a plan that would mean that we “borrow” parts of our own monument. And the British public is increasingly taking Greece’s side. A nationally representative poll published last year showed that a majority supports the return of the Sculptures to Greece. Even more strikingly, 72% agreed that the Sculptures are better understood as part of a unified whole with the Parthenon.

Greece has been in dialogue with Britain for decades to achieve this goal. In recent years, my government has held detailed discussions with the administration of the British Museum about how the reunification of the Sculptures could be achieved. That is why I was surprised by the Museum’s recent suggestion that the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry could serve as a model for an agreement concerning the Parthenon Sculptures. I do not believe it can.

France loaned the Tapestry as a single work and it will be returned to France as a single work. In the case of the Parthenon, the opposite is true: integral parts of the monument were forcibly removed and dispersed. Our goal is their permanent reunification. UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee has repeatedly called on the United Kingdom to engage in good-faith dialogue with Greece on this issue.

Reunification could provide the foundation for a broad and lasting cultural partnership between our countries, opening new possibilities for exhibitions, academic research, art conservation and exchanges between Greek and British museums. Together, we could establish a new model of cultural cooperation between two democratic states, allies that share deeply rooted values and ideals. This is what we seek.

In 2023, before becoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham called for the Sculptures to be returned “without conditions”, adding: “Let’s use culture to change Britain’s image around the world.” I could not agree more.

At a time when democratic principles are being tested around the world, restoring the unity of a monument so closely connected with the birth of democracy itself would send a powerful message. Greece remains ready. What is needed now is the political will and courage for the decisive step: the reunification of the Sculptures and the transformation of a long-running dispute into a unique act of cultural friendship.