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Passing on undesired presents might be seen as somewhat rude – except if it's done in the proper manner.

A Charitable Clear-Out

The leader of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell a reported 270 items bestowed upon her by international figures during her travels. This unusual assortment is said to contain items such as a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentinian president Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gilded heels.

The collection, together, have an approximate value of €800,000. They will be put up for sale to the highest bidder by a Italian auction firm. The specific date has not been finalized, although the intention is to conduct the sale before Christmas, with all funds raised donated to various charities.

Palazzo Chigi Holdings

The items are said to be locked away in a secure area on the third floor of the prime minister's official office. Reports indicate that Meloni is also intending to auction off gifts given to her political forerunners that have been gathering dust for years.

The detailed catalog remains made public, but partial details emerged earlier this year when a detailed register of items received was reviewed by officials. The query raised if a statutory cap on gift value was being followed. According to regulation, a prime minister must declare presents worth more than €300.

An International Assortment of Presents

Notable gifts feature:

• A scarf from the Albanian prime minister, allegedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A sari from Kerala from India's prime minister.
• A box of jewellery from the president of Slovakia.
• A fine china tea service and a selection of wines from Hungary's leader.
• A ceramic bowl from the ex-American leader.
• A electronic pad from the leader of Ukraine.
• Watercolour paintings from Moldova.
• An assortment including makeup, a board, and several rugs received during trips to Libya and other Arab nations.

"Possibly the oddest gifts included the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," reports suggest.

Diplomatic Context

The prime minister has received praise, mostly from her own political sphere, with winning over international counterparts and making Italy as a prominent force on the international platform once again.

This unique auction represents a distinct method to manage the diplomatic artifacts that are collected during a political career.