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Passing on undesired gifts can be seen as a little discourteous – except if it's done for a noble purpose.

A Charitable Sale

The leader of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, will offload around 270 presents received by her by foreign dignitaries while abroad. The eclectic collection is said to contain 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, have an approximate value of €800,000. The plan is to put up for sale via competitive bidding by a Rome-based auction firm. A date remains to be announced, but the goal is to hold the auction during the holiday season, with the proceeds going to non-profit organizations.

Storage Room Treasures

These gifts are currently stored in a secure area on the upper level of the prime minister's official office. It has been reported that Meloni is also considering auction off gifts given to her political forerunners that have been stored away for years.

A complete inventory is yet to be disclosed, but partial details emerged earlier this year when an 11-page list of official presents was presented in parliament. The question focused on whether a rule restricting expensive presents was being followed. According to regulation, a prime minister cannot take home presents valued above €300.

An International Assortment of Gifts

The collection includes:

• A scarf from the leader of Albania, reportedly given to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A sari from Kerala from India's prime minister.
• A set of adornments from the president of Slovakia.
• A porcelain tea set and six bottles of wine from Hungary's leader.
• A ceramic bowl from the former US president.
• A tablet from the leader of Ukraine.
• Watercolour paintings from the Moldovan government.
• Additional objects including cosmetics, a board, and several rugs from trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.

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

Diplomatic Context

Meloni has been credited, particularly from her allies, with building relationships with international counterparts and making Italy as a key protagonist on the global scene once again.

This charitable initiative represents a unconventional way to deal with the diplomatic artifacts that are collected during a leader's tenure.