The shameless bid to capitalise on the post-Brexit mood across the EU was launched within hours of the UK’s formal departure from the bloc last Friday. Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said she expected to win more backing from her European counterparts as British influence had been reduced across the continent. Greece insists they were stolen and Ms Mendoni said the circumstances were now ripe for the marbles’ return.

It is the mentality that has changed, the fact that Britain is distancing itself from the European family

Lina Mendoni

She said: “It is the mentality that has changed, the fact that Britain is distancing itself from the European family.

“As Britain distances itself from Europe and the ideas that it advocates, Greece, rebounding from the recent crisis will in coming years have the opportunity to attract attention and interest from an international audience.

“It is 200 years since the Greek revolution. I think the right conditions have been created for their permanent return.”

She has already garnered the support of the world-famous Uffizi Gallery in Florence which has called on EU member states to get behind the campaign.

Uffizi director Eike Schmidt said: “Now it’s time for the UK to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece.

“It would be a nice gesture if all European countries showed solidarity with Greece, and for Brexit, instead of asking the UK billions of pounds they would ask for the Parthenon marbles back.

“This is because Europe is a united reality on a cultural level, first of all, and not only on trade.”

He continued: “A few years ago there was a survey which showed that the great majority of the British were in favour of returning them, even more than those who were not in favour of Brexit.

“Brexit has taken place a few days ago and in this year of negotiations that awaits us, too often economic figures will be at the centre of negotiations.

“Also for this reason it would be nice to see all EU countries together for the battle to get back the marbles to Athens, instead of just discussing money.”

Greece has repeatedly called for the return of the 2,500-year-old sculptures that British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in Athens in the early 19th century, when Greece was under Ottoman Turkish rule.

The British Museum in London has refused to return the sculptures – roughly half of a 160 meter frieze which adorned the 5th century BC monument – saying they were acquired by Elgin under a legal contract with the Ottoman empire.

The British museum has always said “the sculptures are part of everyone’s shared heritage and transcend cultural boundaries”.

Athens first stepped up its campaign for the marbles’ return after opening a new museum in 2009 at the foot of the Acropolis hill, which holds the sculptures that Elgin left behind alongside plaster casts of the missing pieces. The modern glass and concrete building’s windows reflect images of the Parthenon.

Ms Mendoni said Greece would never give up the campaign for the marbles’ return and accusing Elgin of being nothing short of a thief.

She said: “Motivated by financial gain, publicity and self promotion, Elgin deployed illegal and untoward measures to extract from Greece the Sculptures of the Parthenon and a plethora of other antiquities in a blatant act of serial theft.”

Source: Read Full Article