Boris Johnson forcefully reintroduced the issue of the Parthenon Marbles, stating that their return would raise questions about the British Museum, bringing countries such as Iraq, Nigeria, and Egypt to the forefront.
In an interview with Economist Impact SE Europe Events in Thessaloniki, the former UK Prime Minister spoke about his conversations with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, acknowledging Greece’s sensitivity on the issue, while calling Rishi Sunak’s decision not to receive him in London “crazy.”
The former British Prime Minister categorically states that he never had second thoughts about his country’s exit from the European Union, which he still defends with enthusiasm today. “I disagree with ChatGPT… I didn’t tip the scales for Brexit,” he emphasizes regarding his own contribution to the developments.
Referring to the parties during the pandemic that cost him politically, Johnson said, “What happened was that after Brexit, I had a lot of enemies. They found something to hit me with.”
Regarding the Ukraine front, he expressed the opinion that it would take more time to resolve the stalemate, as not enough is being done to address it. He adds: “Trump did the right thing by imposing sanctions on India. Why haven’t we in Europe utilized the $300 billion from Russian assets? I find it annoying that Europeans are constantly complaining about Trump. However, I also find it disgusting that the Americans treated Putin as if he were superior to Zelensky. If Trump wants the Nobel Peace Prize, he should increase pressure on Putin.”
Regarding the prospects of the Conservative Party, he comments: “The Tories will return, as they always do. We are the most successful political party in Europe. Even more successful than PASOK…”. Asked about his political future, he replied: “I have a very happy life right now, I’m trying to buy a new kitchen for my wife and some other things…”.
He speaks warmly about Greece: “The Greeks are heroes, they spend the highest percentage for defense (…)” I admire what Greece has done on immigration, we wouldn’t have been able to do it in the UK (…) I had fantastic holidays in Greece, a country with fantastic people.”
