Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotaki has publicly called for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, describing them as ...

Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotaki has publicly called for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, describing them as "two halves of a mutilated temple" and a correction that has been "long overdue." The Greek Prime Minister's wife shared the statement on her personal Instagram account, using unusually direct language for a figure in her position. Rather than framing the issue as a diplomatic dispute, she framed it as a simple matter of restoration, arguing the sculptures cannot be compared to anything else in their current separated state. The Parthenon Sculptures, held at the British Museum in London since the early 19th century, have been at the center of a decades-long dispute between Greece and the United Kingdom. Greece has repeatedly called for their return, arguing that Lord Elgin removed them under contested circumstances during the Ottoman occupation of Athens. The British Museum has consistently refused, citing legal ownership and the argument that London provides wider public access. Mareva's intervention adds a personal, public voice from within the Greek government's inner circle to what has typically been handled as a formal diplomatic channel. Her wording, specifically the term "mutilated temple," echoes the language Greek officials and cultural advocates have used for years to emphasize that the sculptures were never meant to be separated. Greece's campaign to reunite the sculptures has gained momentum in recent years, with several European museums returning fragments and renewed pressure on the British Museum from international cultural bodies. The Greek government under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has made the return of the sculptures one of its standing cultural and diplomatic priorities. No formal response from the British Museum or UK government has been issued in connection with Mareva's statement. #ParthenonSculptures #Greece #BritishMuseum