Greece's National Archaeological Museum in Athens would be given independent legal status from the state archaeological service if a proposed government bill is passed Photo: National Archaeological Museum, Ministry of Culture and Sports Greece’s Ministry of Culture and Sports has proposed a new law that aims to loosen the state’s hold over the country’s five largest archaeological museums—a move that has sparked an outcry from museum staff and archaeologists. Presented by culture minister Lina Mendoni on 22 December and due for a vote in Parliament later this month, the bill would convert the National Archaeological Museum and Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki and the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion into “legal entities under public law” (NPDD), the same status held by the New Acropolis Museum since it opened in 2009.