In London, the return of the Parthenon Sculptures seems all but inevitable

LONDON - On a cold January morning, Room 18 of the British Museum was bustling with energy as the crowd was marveling at the astonishing collection of Greek sculptures adorning its walls. Amidst the deferential excitement, it was impossible not to discern a murmur among the audience. "Beautiful as they may be, I don't think they will be here for too long," a father told his two young kids as they passed the friezes depicting a procession of Athenians. "And honestly, for good reason."

No major news has surfaced in the past few months, since British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's last-minute cancellation of a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis in late November reinvigorated a decade-old cultural debate. But today, the sentiment in London is that the return of the 2,500-year-old marble sculptures and reliefs is all but inevitable. For the past five years,...