🔗 Share this article

Passing on unwanted offerings could be seen as slightly impolite – except if it's done for a noble purpose.

A Charitable Auction

The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction around 270 presents received by her by international figures during her travels. The eclectic collection could include gifts including a miniature chainsaw-holding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gold heels.

These items, combined, are valued at around €800,000. They are scheduled to be put up for sale in a public auction by a Italian auction firm. An exact timeline is yet to be set, although the goal is to hold the auction before Christmas, with the revenue going to various charities.

Palazzo Chigi Treasures

These gifts are said to be kept in a storage room on the upper level of the prime minister's official office. It has been reported that Meloni furthermore planning to auction off gifts given to her political forerunners that have been sitting unused for years.

A complete inventory has not yet been disclosed, but a glimpse emerged earlier this year when an 11-page list of official presents was reviewed by officials. The discussion focused on if a statutory cap on gift value was being respected. Legally, a prime minister must declare presents worth more than €300.

An International Assortment of Presents

Among the items:

• A silk accessory from the Albanian prime minister, reportedly given to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A traditional Kerala dress from the Indian leader.
• A box of jewellery from the president of Slovakia.
• A porcelain tea set and a selection of wines from the Hungarian prime minister.
• A ceramic bowl from the ex-American leader.
• A tablet from the leader of Ukraine.
• Watercolour paintings from Moldova.
• An assortment including makeup, a skateboard, and numerous carpets received during trips to Libya and other Arab nations.

"Maybe the strangest gifts were the Milei figurine and the exotic footwear," reports suggest.

Diplomatic Backdrop

Meloni has been credited, mostly from her allies, with winning over international counterparts and positioning Italy as a key protagonist on the world stage once again.

This charitable initiative highlights a distinct method to deal with the diplomatic artifacts that build up during a political career.