Marco Rubio at the Acropolis: Western civilisation ‘in danger’, urges return to ancient Greek values

Speaking from the foot of the Acropolis in Athens, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Western civilisation faces the risk of collapse and urged European nations to revive values rooted in ancient Greece.

Rubio frames the moment as a crossroads

Rubio described the present era as a turning point and appealed to Europeans to rebuild their institutions and spiritual foundations. "We believe Europe can wake from its long slumber and rekindle the fire that burned here millennia ago," he said, invoking the symbolic weight of the site.

He argued that states must balance national identity with shared objectives, saying that "nations should not abandon their distinct identities in order to recognize their common interests." Rubio warned that the choices made now will determine the West's future role on the world stage: "The path we choose will determine whether the West retains its place at the head of the world or resigns itself to a future of atrophy, servitude and decay. The next decade will write the story for the next century."

Pressing for a reorientation of public life, Rubio called for a restored sense of national pride and for reclaiming a classical approach to statecraft: "That must include a renewed national pride, which the ancient Greeks embraced, but the West abandoned because we felt ashamed that our achievements set us apart from the rest of the world. The word nationalism has become a dirty word. That is why we tore down our monuments, condemned our own history, opened our borders and allowed our militaries to weaken and fall apart," he said.

Rubio's visit to Greece was part of a NATO-focused tour of three member states that also included Iceland and Portugal. In Athens he announced that the United States and Greece were launching a new information‑sharing programme aimed at countering terrorism, and highlighted what he described as particular threats facing Greece: mass migration, human trafficking and various forms of terror.

Closing his remarks, Rubio warned against complacency and bad choices that could imperil the region he called the birthplace of the West: "What we do not want to see is the birthplace of the West threatened by bad decisions, inaction and failure to meet challenges. Greece is a strong and exemplary NATO ally and a source of stability in an unstable world," he said.

Photo: Geti)