The Parthenon Marbles could be repatriated in 2025, The Economist magazine reports in its annual end-of-year predictions for the following year.
The article in The Economist, the digital form of which is expected to air on Thursday, November 21, underlines that the conditions for a relocation of the Marbles to Athens are conducive because both the British government and the British Museum appear ready to reach a deal with Greece on the highly contentious matter.
“A 1963 law prohibits the museum from relinquishing its treasures, and the government is unlikely to change it,” the article notes. The piece continues by saying that both the museum’s chairman, George Osborne, and its new director, Nicholas Cullinan, described as a reformer, support the idea of a long-term loan of the Marbles, “perhaps in exchange for other antiquities from Greece,” it states.
The article also highlights a statement made by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who noted that if an agreement is reached between the two sides, he would not stand in the way.
The article also emphasizes that the longstanding claims by the British Museum as the sole guardian of the Parthenon Marbles have been effectively undermined, especially following revelations that an employee allegedly stole nearly 2,000 antiquities, selling them openly on eBay.
The Economist informs its readers of a notable shift in British public opinion on the matter, with 49% in favor of returning the Marbles, against only 15% opposing it, according to a 2023 YouGov poll.
Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to visit London and Downing Street on December 2, with the issue of the Marbles high on his agenda.
