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Relinquishing unwanted presents might be viewed as somewhat rude – unless it's done in the proper manner.

A Charitable 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 could include items such as a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gilded heels.

These items, combined, are valued at around €800,000. They are scheduled to be sold in a public auction by a Italian fine art auction house. An exact timeline has not been finalized, although the intention is to conduct the sale during the holiday season, with all funds raised going to non-profit organizations.

Palazzo Chigi Treasures

The items are said to be locked away in a secure area on the third floor of the government headquarters. Sources state that Meloni furthermore intending to auction off gifts received by her predecessors that have been gathering dust over a long period.

The full gift list has not yet been disclosed, but a glimpse was gleaned earlier this year when an 11-page list of official presents was submitted to lawmakers. The query centered on whether a statutory cap on gift value was being honored. Legally, a prime minister cannot take home presents valued above €300.

An International Assortment of Gifts

The collection includes:

• A silk accessory 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 set of adornments from the president of Slovakia.
• A fine china tea service and six bottles of wine from the Hungarian prime minister.
• A ceramic bowl from the former US president.
• A electronic pad from the leader of Ukraine.
• Watercolour paintings from Moldova.
• An assortment including cosmetics, a board, and several rugs received during trips to Libya and other Arab nations.

"Perhaps the oddest gifts included the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," one might note.

Political Context

Meloni has been credited, particularly from her own political sphere, with building relationships with global statesmen and re-establishing Italy as a significant player on the global scene once again.

The forthcoming sale represents a distinct method to deal with the diplomatic artifacts that are collected during a time in office.