Kevin Featherstone: British public opinion accepts the idea of turning the Parthenon Sculptures in Athens
Guest on her main newscast ERTwas the Kevin Featherstonethe professor of the chair of Modern Greek Studies “Eleftherios Venizelos” and director of the Hellenic Observatory of the London School of Economics and spoke about the issue of the return of Sculptors of the Parthenon in Athens.
He even claimed that British public opinion “absolutely accepts” the idea of returning the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, but noted that the main problem is not that. “It is institutional,” he said.
“The British Museum on the one hand refuses to participate in discussions about the return of the Sculptors and on the other the governments say it is a matter for the Museum. It cannot be exclusively a matter of the Museum. The members of the Board of Directors are not elected, they are not accountable anywhere and for the government to avoid its responsibility, I think it is unacceptable” Mr. Featherstone said, adding that a possible deal could “includes a type of extended borrowing in Greece” and that “we need clever lawyers who will find a way to avoid declaring the ownership of the sculptures during the loan”.
Answering a question about whether the King Charles could influence this issue, Mr Featherstone that although while he was a prince, Charles had made certain statements that “were a bit political”, as a king “he is very sensitive about being politically neutral”. “But I suspect that as head, he probably favors a return”he emphasized.
Speaking with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the matterthe Greek leader, stated: “Reuniting the Parthenon sculptures is something close to my heart. Yes, I see progress and I don’t want to talk publicly about the progress that has been made but a win-win solution can be found and the Parthenon Sculptures can be reunited and the British Museum’s concerns satisfied. The Parthenon Sculptures must be reunited and that’s how I like to say it because the monument was cut in two and we want to have the Sculptures in the Acropolis Museum next to the Parthenon.”