Greek Parliament Approves Cultural Heritage Reform Bill

The Greek Parliament has approved new legislation on the management of the country’s cultural heritage, the protection of artworks and the reorganisation of the Organisation for the Management and Development of Cultural Resources (ODAP), following a marathon parliamentary debate lasting more than 12 hours. The bill passed with the support of the governing New Democracy party, while all opposition parties voted against it. Mendoni Rejects Privatisation Claims Culture Minister Lina Mendoni strongly rejected opposition claims that the legislation would allow archaeological sites or monuments to pass into private hands.

“The ownership of monuments remains entirely with the Greek State, exactly as required by the Constitution, and our cultural heritage continues to be fully protected under Greece’s archaeological law. Full stop,” Mendoni told Parliament. She accused critics of either failing to read the legislation properly or deliberately misleading the public for political purposes.

State Ownership Remains Unchanged Mendoni stressed that the new state-owned company created under the legislation would serve solely as a management body and would not acquire ownership of monuments or archaeological sites. She explained that the company would collect revenue on behalf of ODAP, transferring all proceeds directly to the organisation before they are allocated to the Ministry of Culture. “The company does not obtain ownership and therefore cannot sell any monuments,” she said.

“It operates entirely within the public sector framework.” Investment in Cultural Projects The minister also highlighted the government’s ongoing investment in Greece’s cultural infrastructure, noting that more than €1.5 billion has been allocated to approximately 900 cultural projects currently underway across the country. She said many of these projects are being carried out directly by the Ministry of Culture, creating employment opportunities within local communities. During the debate, MPs from both government and opposition parties raised concerns about protecting archaeological sites and preserving cultural assets in their respective regions.

Mendoni sought to reassure lawmakers that existing archaeological legislation would continue to safeguard all monuments and heritage sites. Underwater Museum on Track The Culture Minister also dismissed reports suggesting that the Museum of Underwat…