Whatever position people take on the long-running dispute over the ownership of the Elgin marbles, there can be little doubt that Rishi Sunak’s last-minute cancellation of a scheduled meeting with visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the issue is an unnecessary, foolish and snippy snub to one of Britain’s few friends in Europe.
It is thought that Sunak was irritated by Mitsotakis going public with Greece’s case for returning the marbles during an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg. But even if that is the case, scrapping a bilateral meeting with a fellow centre-right elected premier is a rude and gross overreaction. And by adding insult to injury in reportedly offering a meeting with deputy PM Oliver Dowden instead, Sunak has merely poured petrol on the justified flames of wounded Greek pride.
His diplomatic gaffe merely adds to the growing impression that our Prime Minister often does not really understand this business of politics.
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