Greek lawmakers elect advocate for return of sculptures from Britain as president

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek lawmakers on Wednesday elected a former parliament speaker and leading advocate for the return of the disputed Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum as the country’s new president.

Constantine Tassoulas, 65, was elected with 160 votes in the 300-member parliament in the fourth round of voting for the largely ceremonial post. He takes over from Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the first woman to serve as Greece’s head of state, who was not nominated for a second five-year term.

Speaking shortly after the vote results were formally announced, Tassoulas said his election was “a supreme honor for me, but above all a precious responsibility.”

A lawyer by trade, Tassoulas is also a member of the governing center-right New Democracy party and served as culture minister a decade ago, helping reinvigorate Greece’s campaign to reclaim the 2,500-year-old Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles.

During his tenure as culture minister, he hosted lawyer Amal Clooney in Athens, who lent her support to the country’s bid for the sculptures’ return. Clooney, the wife of actor George Clooney, helped raise international awareness of the campaign.

The sculptures were removed from the Acropolis in Athens by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 1800s and have since been kept in the British Museum. The Greek government contends their removal was illegal and has long sought their return, seeking to reunite them with other Parthenon artifacts displayed in a museum in the Greek capital.

Greek officials believe the return of the sculptures is more likely now due to the U.K. Labour government’s perceived openness to loan agreements. Ongoing discussions on a potential arrangement would likely include an offer to facilitate rotating exhibitions of ancient Greek artifacts at the British Museum.