This unusual decision of the outgoing British Prime Minister – which followed the sharp position of his Greek counterpart regarding the Sculptures on the BBC television network – had caused reactions even inside his country and many analysts estimated at the time that it would backfire on him.
Two years before the much-discussed cancellation of the Sounak-Mitsotakis meeting, in November 2021, negotiations had begun between the Greek government and the president of the British Museum, with the possibility of the return of the Sculptures being visible for the first time. Now, following the historic defeat of the Tories, the debate is expected to open more generally regarding the foreign collections located in Britain, as the Policy Adviser in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, John Hundis de Fabri, tells the Free Press on Sunday.
Hot issue
“Within the Labor Party, a more general position prevails in favor of the return of antiquities and other cultural relics to their countries of origin”, he declares to “ET”. John Hundis de Fabri.
“Undoubtedly, a Labor victory will bring regarding some sort of positive development on the matter of reuniting the Parthenon Sculptures. More specifically, it must be emphasized that within the Labor Party there is a more general position in favor of the return of antiquities and other cultural relics to their countries of origin, for example in Africa. In this context, the possible reunification of the Glyptos would follow the general attitude of the party”, notes Mr. De Fabbri.
At the same time, he points out that, according to his sources in the Labor Party, no amendment is expected to the law forbidding the definitive return of antiquities by the British Museum, but at the same time no obstacles are expected to be raised in a possible agreement either. “Knowing and supporting “Labor Jerusalem” well, I am told that the party’s position on the issue can be summed up as follows: Labor will not encourage, but neither will they prevent, a possible agreement between the Greek government and the trustees of the British Museum . How is this position decoded? This means that, on the one hand, they will not amend the relevant provision of the law which prohibits the definitive return of part of the Museum’s collection and, on the other hand, they will not exert public pressure once morest finding an agreement, as Conservative prime ministers did in the past”.
Scenario
The most prevalent scenario that seems to advance to a possible agreement is the loan of the antiquities for a specific period of time, without excluding the loan indefinitely.
“From the above it follows that there is talk, in essence, of a loan, perhaps for 3, 5 or 15 years, with parallel recognition on the part of Greece of the British Museum’s legal ownership of the Sculptures. This would, of course, be a painful compromise, but all compromises by their nature involve conceding some of the rights of each side. Perhaps this particular legal thorn will be the one that will not allow, in the end, to reach an agreement”, notes Mr. De Fabbri, adding: “The discussions that we know have been ongoing for regarding three years between the Greek government and the trustees of the Museum, chaired by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Cameron government, George Osborne, are undoubtedly operating on this basis. This does not mean that the Greek side would be willing to accept these terms, should they be proposed as final for the negotiation. We must pay attention, following all, to the Greek Prime Minister’s constant reference, in English and Greek, to a “reunion” and not a “return” of the Sculptors”.
Developments following the summer
Regarding the schedule of the new round of debates, the adviser to the House of Lords estimates that any developments should be expected following the summer.
“In conclusion, the “road map” from now on will concern the continuation of these negotiations with more favorable terms and some possible developments from the autumn onwards. However, I would like to make two final notes. Firstly, it is possible that the management of the British Museum will proceed with a public proposal to borrow the Sculptures, so that they can be reunited at the Acropolis Museum, transferring the responsibility at an international and communication level to Greece. Secondly, the possible strong reactions of the conservative press, which still maintains a strong influence on British public opinion, may push Labor to a more defensive attitude on the issue, postponing any developments for later”, concludes Ioannis Houdis de Fabbri, Policy Advisor in the Parliament of Lords, author, historian and PhD candidate in the History of Ideas at the University of Aberdeen.
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