希腊总理敦促英国永久归还帕台农雕塑

希腊总理米佐塔基斯在《卫报》撰文，敦促英国首相基尔·斯塔默找到"政治意愿"，将帕台农雕塑永久归还希腊1。这些雕塑自19世纪以来一直在大英博物馆展出1，其创作于公元前447年至432年，原用于装饰雅典卫城的帕台农神庙1。

米佐塔基斯在撰文中明确表态，希腊不能接受任何要求承认大英博物馆所有权的安排，也不接受意味着希腊借用自己纪念碑一部分的任何计划1。这一立场回应了大英博物馆主任尼古拉斯·库利南曾提出的建议——贝叶挂毯的借展安排可能为埃尔金大理石雕协议提供模板1。

英国首相斯塔默的态度存在变化。2023年，他曾表示雕塑应"不附加条件"地归还希腊，但上月他告诉《金融时报》"最终这是大英博物馆的问题"1。帕台农画廊在雅典卫城博物馆中被刻意设计，为大英博物馆中的雕塑预留了空间1。

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to find the "political will" to permanently return the Parthenon sculptures to Greece, according to an opinion piece published in The Guardian.1 The sculptures, which have been displayed in the British Museum since the 19th century, have long been contested by Greece regarding the legitimacy of their removal.1

Mitsotakis emphasized that Greece cannot accept any arrangement requiring it to acknowledge British Museum ownership or participate in a loan scheme involving its own monument.1 The sculptures, originally created between 447 and 432 BCE, were designed to decorate the Parthenon temple of Athena on the Acropolis in Athens.1 The Parthenon Gallery at the Acropolis Museum in Athens was specifically designed to accommodate space for the sculptures currently held in the British Museum.1

The demand comes amid shifting positions from the UK government. In 2023, Starmer stated that the sculptures should be returned to Greece "without conditions," but last month told the Financial Times that "ultimately this is a matter for the British Museum."1 British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan has previously suggested that a loan arrangement for the Bayeux Tapestry could serve as a template for a potential agreement regarding the Elgin Marbles.1