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Relinquishing undesired presents might be considered a little discourteous – except if it's done in the proper manner.

A Charitable Auction

The leader of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction an estimated 270 presents received by her by foreign dignitaries while abroad. This unusual assortment could include gifts including a miniature chainsaw-holding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gilded heels.

These items, collectively, have an approximate value of €800,000. They will be sold to the highest bidder by a Rome-based fine art auction house. The specific date has not been finalized, but the aim is to hold the auction during the holiday season, with the proceeds donated to various charities.

Palazzo Chigi Treasures

The items are said to be locked away in a repository on the third floor of the government headquarters. Reports indicate that Meloni furthermore planning to auction off gifts received by her political forerunners that have been sitting unused over a long period.

The full gift list remains disclosed, but some insight were revealed earlier this year when an 11-page list of all declared gifts was presented in parliament. The query focused on if a legal value limit was being respected. Legally, a prime minister is not permitted to keep presents exceeding €300.

An International Assortment of Presents

Among the items:

• A silk accessory from the Albanian prime minister, reportedly 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 six bottles of wine from Hungary's leader.
• A pottery dish from the ex-American leader.
• A digital device from the Ukrainian president.
• Watercolour paintings from the Moldovan government.
• Additional objects including makeup, a board, and numerous carpets from trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.

"Possibly the most unusual gifts were the statuette from Milei and the exotic footwear," observers have said.

Diplomatic Context

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

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