The Greek PM expressed ‘displeasure’ that Sunak axed their meeting, saying he avoided talks on the disputed marbles.
Diplomatic sparks are flying after Britain’s prime minister abruptly cancelled a meeting with his Greek counterpart in which they were due to discuss long-contested artefacts.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was scheduled on Monday to meet visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who planned to raise the status of the Elgin Marbles, a set of 2,500-year-old Greek sculptures that Athens wants Britain to return.
Greece asserts that the marbles, taken from the Parthenon temple by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, were stolen – an assertion denied by Britain.
The issue has been a source of contention between the countries for decades.
Mitsotakis, in a statement, expressed “displeasure” that the British prime minister had cancelled their meeting at the last minute, accusing him of sidestepping the issue.
“Greece’s position on the issue of the Parthenon friezes is well known. I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart,” Mitsotakis lamented.
“Those who believe in the rightness and validity of their positions are never afraid to confront the arguments,” he added.
Mitsokis reportedly declined a UK offer to meet Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden instead.
A Downing Street spokesperson, responding to Mitsotakis’s statement, said “the UK-Greece relationship is hugely important”, citing joint work within NATO and “tackling shared challenges like illegal migration” and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
“The deputy prime minister was available to meet with the Greek PM to discuss these important issues,” the spokesperson added, without referencing the marbles issue.
Examples of the Parthenon Sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain [File: Toby Melville/Reuters]
Decades-old dispute
The sculptures were taken from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Greece in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin.
Britain maintains it acquired the scriptures legally.
According to the Greek news agency ANA, citing sources within the Greek government, the British prime minister was apparently upset by comments made by his Greek counterpart to the BBC on Sunday.
In his comments, Mitsotakis likened the collection being held at the British Museum to the Mona Lisa painting being cut in half.
A source from Britain’s ruling Conservatives told the broadcaster on Monday that “it became impossible for this meeting to go ahead following commentary regarding the Elgin Marbles prior to it”.
Britain’s government has always ruled out giving up ownership of the marbles, which include about half of the 160-metre (525-ft) frieze that adorned the Parthenon.
However, Athens has recently been pushing for a deal that would return the sculptures under some kind of loan arrangement.
The Financial Times last week reported that British opposition leader Keir Starmer would not block a “mutually acceptable” loan deal for the sculptures. A meeting between Mitsotakis and Starmer went ahead on Monday as planned.
But Sunak’s spokesperson said on Monday the UK government had “no plans to change our approach, and certainly we think that the [British] museum is the right place” for the marbles.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
