🔗 Share this article

Getting rid of undesired gifts can be seen as slightly impolite – unless it's done in the proper manner.

A Philanthropic Clear-Out

Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell around 270 gifts given to her by international figures on official trips. The eclectic collection reportedly features gifts including a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gold heels.

The presents, collectively, are valued at around €800,000. They are scheduled to be auctioned off to the highest bidder by a Rome-based fine art auction house. An exact timeline remains to be announced, although the aim is to hold the auction by year's end, with the revenue donated to various charities.

Palazzo Chigi Treasures

The items are said to be locked away in a storage room on the third floor of Palazzo Chigi. Reports indicate that Meloni additionally considering auction off gifts given to her preceding prime ministers that have been stored away for years.

A complete inventory is yet to be disclosed, but partial details were revealed earlier this year when an 11-page list of all declared gifts was presented in parliament. The discussion centered 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 Array of Gifts

Notable gifts feature:

• A scarf from the Albanian prime minister, allegedly given to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A customary Indian garment from the Indian leader.
• A set of adornments from the Slovakian president.
• A fine china tea service and six bottles of wine from the Hungarian prime minister.
• A ceramic bowl from the former US president.
• A digital device from the Ukrainian president.
• Artworks from Moldova.
• Additional objects including makeup, a skateboard, and numerous carpets received during trips to Libya and other Arab nations.

"Maybe the strangest gifts were the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," one might note.

Political Context

The prime minister has received praise, particularly from her allies, with winning over international counterparts and positioning Italy as a key protagonist on the world stage once again.

This unique auction represents a novel approach to deal with the protocol gifts that accumulate during a political career.