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Passing on unneeded offerings can be viewed as somewhat rude – unless it's done the right way.

A Philanthropic Sale

Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, will offload around 270 gifts given to her by world leaders while abroad. The diverse haul is said to contain gifts including a miniature chainsaw-holding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gold heels.

The presents, combined, have an approximate value of €800,000. They will be put up for sale in a public auction by a Italian fine art auction house. An exact timeline remains to be announced, although the intention is to conduct the sale before Christmas, with the revenue donated to various charities.

Palazzo Chigi Holdings

The presents are currently stored in a secure area on the upper level of the prime minister's official office. Sources state that Meloni furthermore considering auction off gifts received by her predecessors that have been gathering dust indefinitely.

The full gift list remains disclosed, but a glimpse were revealed earlier this year when an 11-page list of official presents was reviewed by officials. The query focused on whether a rule restricting expensive presents was being followed. By law, a prime minister must declare presents worth more than €300.

An International Array of Gifts

Notable gifts feature:

• A woven wrap from the leader of Albania, reportedly given to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A traditional Kerala dress from India's prime minister.
• A case of jewelry from the president of Slovakia.
• A porcelain tea set and a selection of wines from the Hungarian prime minister.
• A ceramic bowl from the former US president.
• A digital device from the Ukrainian president.
• Watercolour paintings from the Moldovan government.
• Various other items including cosmetics, a skateboard, and several rugs received during trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.

"Perhaps the oddest gifts were the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," observers have said.

Diplomatic Backdrop

The prime minister has received praise, particularly from her allies, with building relationships with foreign leaders and making Italy as a key protagonist on the global scene once again.

This charitable initiative represents a novel approach to manage the diplomatic artifacts that are collected during a political career.