🔗 Share this article

Relinquishing unneeded presents can be considered a little discourteous – unless it's done the right way.

A Charitable Sale

The leader of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction around 270 items bestowed upon her by international figures on official trips. This unusual assortment reportedly features gifts including a miniature chainsaw-holding statuette of Argentinian president Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-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 Rome-based auction firm. A date remains to be announced, but the intention is to conduct the sale during the holiday season, with all funds raised donated to non-profit organizations.

Palazzo Chigi Collection

The items are currently kept in a storage room on the third floor of the government headquarters. It has been reported that Meloni additionally planning to auction off gifts received by her predecessors that have been sitting unused for years.

The detailed catalog remains made public, but some insight was gleaned earlier this year when an 11-page list of all declared gifts was submitted to lawmakers. The question focused on whether a rule restricting expensive presents was being respected. By law, a prime minister is not permitted to keep presents worth more than €300.

An International Array of Gifts

Among the items:

• A scarf 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 case of jewelry from the Slovakian president.
• A porcelain tea set and a selection of wines from the Hungarian prime minister.
• A ceramic bowl from the ex-American leader.
• A digital device from the leader of Ukraine.
• Watercolour paintings from the Moldovan government.
• An assortment including makeup, a board, and several rugs received during trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.

"Perhaps the most unusual gifts were the Milei figurine and the exotic footwear," one might note.

Political Context

Supporters have applauded Meloni, mostly from within her party, with garnering support from global statesmen and making Italy as a prominent force on the international platform once again.

This charitable initiative highlights a unconventional way to deal with the state presents that accumulate during a time in office.