Culture Minister Lina Mendoni declared recently that Greece will step up its campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from Britain and that she expects to win more support from her European peers as Brexit sees British influence wane.
Speaking to Reuters, Mendoni said she believes the circumstances are ripe at the moment for the return of the marbles, part of the great patrimony of the Greek people.
“It is the mentality that has changed, the fact that Britain is distancing itself from the European family, it is 200 years since the Greek revolution. I think the right conditions have been created for their permanent return,” the Culture Minister stated.
The Parthenon Sculptures: A Story of Cultural Theft
Bring them back! Full story: https://bit.ly/2DDq8Me
Posted by Greek Reporter on Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Greece plans grand cultural events throughout the year 2021 to mark 200 years since the beginning of its revolt against Ottoman rule.
Britain will leave the European Union once and for all on Jan. 31.
Mendoni earlier told a conference in Athens “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.”
The Greek Culture Minister said her country would never give up the campaign for the marbles’ return, accusing Lord Elgin of being nothing short of a thief.
“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,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters.