Milei Statuette, Anyone? Italy's PM to Auction Off World Leaders' Gifts for Good Cause

Passing on undesired presents could be seen as somewhat rude – unless it's done in the proper manner.

A Charitable Clear-Out

The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction an estimated 270 presents received by her by foreign dignitaries during her travels. This unusual assortment 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 gold heels.

The collection, combined, are worth an estimated €800,000. They will be put up for sale in a public auction by a Italian art dealer. An exact timeline is yet to be set, but the aim is to conduct the sale before Christmas, with the proceeds donated to non-profit organizations.

Palazzo Chigi Treasures

The presents are currently stored in a storage room on the upper level of the government headquarters. Sources state that Meloni furthermore intending to auction off gifts given to her predecessors that have been sitting unused indefinitely.

A complete inventory remains officially released, but partial details were revealed earlier this year when a comprehensive document of items received was reviewed by officials. The question centered on if a legal value limit was being followed. Legally, a prime minister is not permitted to keep presents valued above €300.

A Global Assortment of Gifts

Among the items:

• A silk accessory from the Albanian prime minister, allegedly given to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A sari from Kerala from the Indian leader.
• A box of jewellery from the president of Slovakia.
• A fine china tea service and a selection of wines from the Hungarian prime minister.
• A pottery dish from the former US president.
• A electronic pad from the leader of Ukraine.
• Paintings from Moldova.
• An assortment including cosmetics, a board, and numerous carpets received during trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.

"Maybe the most unusual gifts were the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," reports suggest.

Political Context

The prime minister has received praise, particularly from her allies, with garnering support from foreign leaders and making Italy as a prominent force on the international platform once again.

This charitable initiative symbolizes a unconventional way to deal with the protocol gifts that are collected during a time in office.