Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said talks with the British Museum over the Parthenon Marbles have stalled and ...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said talks with the British Museum over the Parthenon Marbles have stalled and announced Greece will now intensify pressure on both the museum and the British government to secure their return. Speaking at the "Dialogues on Athens" conference alongside American classicist Daniel Mendelsohn, Mitsotakis was direct: "They were clearly stolen by Lord Elgin, there is no doubt about that." He also said he prefers the term "reunification" over "return," because the sculptures are fragments of a single monument that was broken apart. For a permanent solution to happen, Mitsotakis said British law would need to change, and he signaled he plans to raise the issue personally with the British Prime Minister. He also proposed a broader cultural cooperation deal, offering to loan Greek antiquities that have never been exhibited abroad to the British Museum in exchange for progress on the Marbles. Mitsotakis called this a European issue, not just a Greek one, and pointed out that British public opinion already supports reunification. "I believe the time has come," he said. On domestic issues, Mitsotakis addressed Athens' housing crisis, saying demand-side subsidies alone, including a one-month rent rebate of up to 800 euros planned for November, are not enough. He called for more housing supply and floated incentives for build-to-rent construction, including allowing extra floors on dedicated long-term rental buildings. He also confirmed that Athens Metro Line 4 will face delays due to technical complexity, and acknowledged that Metro Line 1, the old electric railway, is in "terrible condition." Fourteen refurbished trains are expected to be delivered over the next year. #ParthenonMarbles #Greece #BritishMuseum