Returning the Elgin Marbles to Greece would help Sir Keir Starmer reset post-Brexit relations with the European Union, former European Commission vice-president has suggested.
Margaritas Schinas, who held the role from 1 December 2019, to 30 November 2024 said returning the marbles would be a gesture of goodwill as Starmer pursues his Brexit reset with the EU.
Schinas said that sending the Parthenon sculptures back to Greece would help heal the divisions caused by Brexit and mark the beginning of “mutual respect and collaboration” between Britain and the EU.
He urged that the move be made this month to align with the 200th anniversary year of Lord Byron’s death, commemorating his role in Greece’s fight for independence from the Ottoman Empire.
“Returning the Marbles would be a powerful symbol of Britain’s commitment to strengthening ties and turning the page on recent divisions,” Schinas told The Daily Telegraph. “It’s time to close this chapter and open a new era of mutual respect and collaboration.”
The Elgin Marbles are a collection of ancient Greek sculptures, now largely housed in the British Museum, which were controversially acquired by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s. The Greek government insists that they were stolen.
A 1963 law currently prevents the British Museum from returning the Marbles, but they could be loaned on a long-term basis.
Following a meeting between Starmer and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in December, the Greek government said it welcomed “the fact that the British government will not stand in the way if there is an agreement with the British Museum”.
A spokesperson for Starmer said that there had been no change to the Government’s position and there were no plans to change the law.
In 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled a meeting with Mitsotakis after the Greek leader suggested that removing the Marbles from Greece was like cutting the Mona Lisa in half.
The ownership of the Marbles could be a sticking point in negotiations between the UK and EU as Starmer attempts to reset relations with Europe.
“Many key countries of the EU are quite happy with how Brexit is going,” a diplomat told The i Paper.
“So it is on the UK to tell us: what’s the incentive?”
Schinas said that returning the Marbles would help to strengthen the relationship between Britain, Greece, and the rest of Europe.
He said: “Greece and Great Britain share a long and cherished history. Britain played a pivotal role in the liberation of Greece from the Ottoman Empire and in the creation of the modern Greek state.
“Together, our nations stood united in two world wars, defeating fascism and upholding the ideals of freedom and democracy.”
Starmer is also under pressure from UK businesses to bring regulations back into line with the EU, with the British Chambers of Commerce calling for “as much alignment as possible”.
However, he has already ruled out rejoining the single market or EU freedom of movement rules, which will likely also complicate negotiations.
Leaked EU documents earlier this month revealed the UK has been pushing for a non-legally binding Security and Defence Partnership, which The i Paper understands would then be underpinned by a more formal pact.
The negotiating also showed that Brussels is preparing to name a high price from the UK for closer relations, demanding a new fishing deal as a precondition for negotiations.
Starmer has faced pressure from the EU to agree to a youth mobility scheme in exchange for a veterinary agreement to ease cross-border food trade.
EU leaders are reportedly finalising the negotiating mandate for the European Commission ahead of a formal proposal expected in the coming months.
