Greece promises harder push to bring Parthenon Marbles home from London

Greece will push harder to bring the Parthenon Marbles back to Athens.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has pledged to “ramp up” efforts to regain the sculptures held by the British Museum in London. The latest report, from ARTnews on 7 October 2026, followed the first account in The Guardian on 6 October.

The wording is short and deliberate. Mitsotakis leads the government in Athens. He said the campaign to recover the works will intensify. No timetable or new agreement was described in the reports.

For anyone coming to this story fresh, here is the set-up. The Parthenon Marbles are the classical sculptures associated with the Parthenon temple in Athens. A major group is now housed in the British Museum. Greece wants them returned to Athens for display there.

That address matters to visitors. Right now a trip to see them means a trip to London. A return would mean a trip to Athens. That practical question — who gets to stand in front of the stones, and where — is why a short political pledge travels well beyond museum circles.

This is not a first ask. On 25 January 2024, Reuters reported that Mitsotakis had repeated his call for the sculptures’ return to Athens. That earlier call gives this week’s language its context. The new line is about speed and pressure, not the start of the dispute.

What makes this stand out is the promise of pace. “Ramp up” points to more meetings, more statements and more headlines. It does not by itself move a single stone. A transfer would need agreement on the London side, and none was announced.

So nothing changes for ticket-holders yet. The display stays where it is. The facts on the record are simple: the prime minister in Athens says he will try harder, the works remain in London, and the long conversation goes on.