Could this be the key to Britain returning the Elgin marbles to Greece?

As Keir Starmer meets with the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Thimios Tzallas looks at the prospect – and value – of an exchange that benefits both parties

After a series of “private meetings” between the UK and Greece this week, prime ministers Keir Starmer and Kyriakos Mitsotakis are set to meet in London today to discuss the future of the Elgin marbles.

Likely to be framed as a “cultural partnership” between the two nations, there is a growing sense that the Parthenon sculptures will be returned to Greece, in exchange for certain “blockbuster treasures” – negotiations are a two-way street, after all.

Although the Greek government is reluctant to reveal which “blockbuster treasures” they are willing to lend in exchange – a bid to build drama and raise expectations, I suspect – there is speculation that the Mask of Agamemnon might be included (which would not be too dissimilar to Britain lending the Alfred Jewel to Greece).

There are many reasons why this debate has rumbled on for so long – not least Athens’ muddled narrative regarding the terms of the marbles’ repatriation.

In December 2023, Mitsotakis, speaking with Laura Kuenssberg in an interview that sparked a massive and somewhat incoherent dispute with Rishi Sunak, attempted to clarify Greece’s position on the matter. “I think the answer is very clear. They [the marbles] do look better in the Acropolis Museum, a state-of-the-art museum that was built for that purpose,” he said.

“And again, this is not a question of returning artefacts whose ownership we question. We feel that these sculptures belong to Greece and that they were essentially stolen. But this is not, in my mind, an ownership question. This is a reunification argument.”

But rather than provide clarification, he muddied the water by claiming both that the marbles were stolen and that he does not question their ownership. Both statements cannot be true simultaneously. Either you consider the marbles to be stolen, and, therefore, the British Museum’s possession of them to be illegal, or you do not dispute ownership, and recognise the museum as their rightful owner.

This ambiguity does not provide assurance to the British side that the Greek government intends to return the sculptures after borrowing them. This is the most critical point in the negotiation, and where discussions have stalled. Unlike, for example, what happened with the successful 100-year loan deal between the V&A, the British Museum and Ghana.

It is, of course, paradoxical to debate whether Greece should return treasures that were taken from its own territory. But it is also irrelevant. We are no longer in 1802, nor is Lord Elgin negotiating with the Ottoman empire. Instead, two modern museums are striving to reach an agreement based on mutual trust.

So, it’s not enough for the director of the British Museum, Nicholas Cullinan, to describe the institution as a potential “lending library” for the marbles. The crucial step is for Mitsotakis to walk up to the counter to borrow what he considers rightfully Greek.

This requires a highly skilled political manoeuvre by a prime minister willing to face significant political cost. The challenge is massive for any Greek government, let alone for a right-wing prime minister, who faces pressure from the powerful nationalist faction within his own party.

But, does it truly matter who will own the marbles a century from now? The debate is edging into the realm of abstract philosophy – one that, if it resonates at all, will be left for future generations to grapple with.

Perhaps this is why a source close to Starmer told the Financial Times: “We are open to whatever is agreed. It’s right to say there is no strong view on what should happen.” In other words: we don’t really care. And maybe Greece shouldn’t either? Loosening up on the question of ownership is the decisive step.

One of the most iconic quotes in modern Greek history comes from Konstantinos Mitsotakis, father of the current prime minister. His premiership took place during the height of the heated dispute between Greece and North Macedonia over the latter’s name in the 1990s. Commenting on the controversy, he urged the Greek public to take a more relaxed stance and famously remarked: “In 10 years, we’ll have forgotten all about it.”

As the Greek prime minister holds discussions with Keir Starmer about the marbles today, he should heed his late father’s famous advice on foreign policy if he truly wants them back.

Thimios Tzallas is a London-based political commentator and the author of ‘Brexit, Europe and Greece’ (2019, by Epikentro Publishers)