Greek government ministers have appealed to US President Donald Trump to pressure Britain into returning the ancient Parthenon Sculptures to Athens.
Speaking to the conservative media outlet Breitbart News, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and lawmaker Konstantinos Kyranakis said American intervention could secure Trump a historic legacy lasting for centuries.
The overture marks a new attempt by Greek officials to enlist Washington in resolving the long-running diplomatic dispute over the classical marble treasures, which have been housed in the British Museum in London since the nineteenth century.
Appeal to American leadership
Georgiadis, who serves as vice president of Greece's governing center-right New Democracy party as well as Health Minister, described Trump as the natural leader of the Western world. He told Breitbart News that the US president represents the spirit of the founding fathers of American democracy, who drew their foundational values and political principles from ancient Greece and Rome.
Georgiadis expressed confidence that Trump could convince the British government to make what he called the right move. He stated that educated people throughout the West support the return of the marbles, adding that even British officials do not claim legal ownership or state that the statues will never be restored to Greece.
Referring to Lord Elgin, the British diplomat Thomas Bruce who removed the sculptures from the Acropolis between 1801 and 1812 while serving as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Georgiadis noted that the British themselves had accused Elgin of theft at the time. He said Elgin bequeathed the marbles to the British Museum in his will, adding that if the diplomat had kept them in his private garden, Greece would have recovered them decades ago.
Cultural legacy and diplomatic pressure
Kyranakis, a Member of Parliament and secretary of New Democracy, told Breitbart News that helping reunite the sculptures would represent a rare moment where political leadership serves culture. He said Trump's involvement would transcend standard diplomacy, proving that true leadership protects the historical foundations of civilization while completing history rather than rewriting it.
Endy Zemenides, executive director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, a prominent Greek-American policy advocacy organization, also spoke to Breitbart News in support of the initiative. He said British excuses were running out and described the removal of the statues as the greatest theft in history.
Zemenides stated that securing the return of the sculptures would mark an unprecedented contribution to the cultural heritage of democracy. He noted that the artifacts could be housed in the Acropolis Museum in Athens, a purpose-built facility opened in 2009 at the foot of the Acropolis hill with floor-to-ceiling glass walls offering direct views of the Parthenon temple.
Symbolism and Washington architecture
Georgiadis emphasized that the leader who secures the return of the marbles will become an enduring part of the Parthenon's history. He remarked that the ancient temple has stood on the rocky citadel of Athens for 2,500 years and will remain standing for another 2,500 years.
Breitbart News, an American news website that echoes far-right political positions, commented that the Parthenon stands as the primary global symbol of democracy in its historic birthplace. The outlet noted that the classical Doric columns of ancient Athens inspired much of the architecture that Trump admires and is currently restoring in Washington.
During the interview, Georgiadis wore cufflinks bearing Trump's name. The minister described himself as a strong admirer of the US president, stating that he wears the accessories to shield himself politically against left-wing critics and communists.
Geopolitical support and British politics
Georgiadis also voiced strong support for Trump's broader international stance, including US military actions against Iran. He said Trump had protected the West from a severe threat by acting against Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, arguing that political leaders must sometimes make difficult choices to ensure long-term security.
The health minister argued that current geopolitical and domestic conditions offer an ideal window to resolve the dispute. He cited historical weakness in the British government following the fall of Keir Starmer from the prime ministership and the rise of Andy Burnham as his replacement in London.
Georgiadis asserted that combining British political transition with a strong US presidency creates a unique opportunity to correct a historic injustice.
Greek national identity
Greece maintains a strict legal and diplomatic stance regarding the fifth-century BC marble friezes, metopes and pediment sculptures carved under the supervision of the ancient sculptor Phidias. Georgiadis clarified that Athens treats the Parthenon Sculptures as a completely unique case and will never use their return as leverage to demand other ancient artifacts back from foreign museums.
He concluded that the Parthenon Sculptures represent the fundamental symbol of unity for the Greek nation, serving as the ultimate universal emblem of freedom and democratic heritage.
