London, Thanasis Gavos

A report by the British historian of the University of Oxford Sir Noel Malcolm – with which the Greek request for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures is rejected – is published by the conservative think tank Policy Exchange.

The 63-page report claims that allegations of illegal removal of the Sculptures by Lord Elgin are “false”, as well as the claim that his actions are objectionable due to bribery.

According to the historian, the argument that Elgin acted against the clear wishes of the Greek community is “definitely unproven and probably false.”

On the contrary, judges Sir Noel, the Scottish aristocrat saved the Sculptures from serious destruction.

He adds that it is not possible to reunite all the Sculptures in the Parthenon and that the argument that the absence of the Sculptures harms the Greek identity is exaggerated.

On the arguments in favor of the Sculptors staying in Londonthe British historian includes that now have become part of ‘British heritage’ and that their removal would damage the prestige of the British Museum and would be considered a “precedent” for the return of other exhibits.

According to the Policy Exchange report, the British Museum should not give the Sculptures to Athens even as a loan if its ownership of them is not recognised.

As noted, “whatever promises Athens may make or whatever objects she may offer as a temporary consideration, the risk that the Sculptures will not return to London is very great».

It therefore calls on the British Government to reaffirm its support for the preservation of the Sculptures in London and to maintain the 1963 Act which does not allow exhibits to be permanently removed from the British Museum’s collection, and for the British Museum to change its lending policy so as to prohibit the loan to countries that do not recognize the ownership of the Museum.

In an article in the Daily Telegraph, Sir Noel Malcolm summarizes the findings of his report and mainly states that: even a loan of the “Elginia” to Athens must be ruled out because of the risk of Greece keeping the Sculptures forever.

As he adds, the mere fact that in order to close such a loan there would have to be a “counter-loan” with other Greek exhibits, in the form of a “hostage exchange”, implies that there is no confidence in Greece that the Sculptures would be returned.

Policy Exchange simultaneously publishes online results poll in a sample of 1,101 Britons.

On the question of whether Athens would return the Parthenon Sculptures if the British Museum lent them to it, 46% answered in the negative compared to 11% who answered in the affirmative (with the rest not expressing an opinion).

36% of respondents disagree with lending exhibits to countries that do not recognize the British Museum’s ownership of the exhibits, compared to 22% who agree.

47% agree with the position that the return of the “Elginia” would encourage the return of other exhibits to their countries of origin, with 13% disagreeing.

However, 39% versus 23% of respondents agree that important exhibits should be returned from museums abroad to museums in the country of origin.