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Passing on unwanted offerings might be seen as slightly impolite – unless it's done for a noble purpose.

A Philanthropic Sale

Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell around 270 presents received by her by foreign dignitaries during her travels. The diverse haul reportedly features objects like a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gilded heels.

The presents, collectively, are valued at around €800,000. They are scheduled to be sold to the highest bidder by a Italian fine art auction house. A date remains to be announced, but the aim is to conduct the sale during the holiday season, with the proceeds benefiting non-profit organizations.

Storage Room Treasures

The presents are said to be locked away in a storage room on the third floor of the government headquarters. Reports indicate that Meloni is also planning to auction off gifts received by her preceding prime ministers that have been gathering dust indefinitely.

A complete inventory remains officially released, but a glimpse was gleaned earlier this year when a detailed register of official presents was presented in parliament. The query raised whether a rule restricting expensive presents was being honored. By law, a prime minister must declare presents worth more than €300.

A Global Assortment of Gifts

Among the items:

• A scarf from the Albanian prime minister, allegedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A traditional Kerala dress from India's prime minister.
• A box of jewellery from the Slovakian president.
• A fine china tea service and six bottles of wine from Hungary's leader.
• A pottery dish from the ex-American leader.
• A electronic pad from the leader of Ukraine.
• Watercolour paintings from the Moldovan government.
• Various other items including makeup, a skateboard, and numerous carpets from trips to Libya and other Arab nations.

"Possibly the oddest gifts were the statuette from Milei and the exotic footwear," observers have said.

Diplomatic Context

The prime minister has received praise, mainly from her own political sphere, with garnering support from international counterparts and re-establishing Italy as a significant player on the international platform once again.

This charitable initiative highlights a distinct method to manage the protocol gifts that are collected during a leader's tenure.