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Relinquishing unwanted gifts can be viewed as somewhat rude – except if it's done the right way.

A Philanthropic Sale

The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, will offload a reported 270 items bestowed upon her by world leaders during her travels. The eclectic collection is said to contain gifts including a miniature chainsaw-holding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gold heels.

The presents, together, have an approximate value of €800,000. They are scheduled to be auctioned off via competitive bidding by a Italian art dealer. The specific date is yet to be set, but the aim is to conduct the sale by year's end, with the proceeds benefiting various charities.

Storage Room Holdings

The presents reportedly stored in a repository on the third floor of the government headquarters. It has been reported that Meloni is also intending to auction off gifts received by her preceding prime ministers that have been gathering dust for years.

The full gift list remains made public, but a glimpse were revealed earlier this year when a detailed register of all declared gifts was presented in parliament. The query centered on if a rule restricting expensive presents was being followed. According to regulation, a prime minister is not permitted to keep presents worth more than €300.

A Global Array of Gifts

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 Slovakian president.
• A porcelain tea set and six bottles of wine from Hungary's leader.
• A ceramic bowl from the ex-American leader.
• A tablet from the Ukrainian president.
• Watercolour paintings from the Moldovan government.
• Additional objects including cosmetics, a skateboard, and several rugs received during trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.

"Maybe the most unusual gifts included the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," observers have said.

Diplomatic Context

Supporters have applauded Meloni, mostly from within her party, with building relationships with international counterparts and positioning Italy as a prominent force on the global scene once again.

The forthcoming sale symbolizes a distinct method to manage the protocol gifts that accumulate during a leader's tenure.