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Relinquishing unneeded gifts might be considered somewhat rude – except if it's done the right way.

A Charitable Clear-Out

The leader of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell around 270 gifts given to her by world leaders during her travels. The diverse haul is said to contain items such as a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gilded heels.

These items, combined, have an approximate value of €800,000. They will be auctioned off via competitive bidding by a Italian art dealer. The specific date has not been finalized, although the goal is to hold the auction before Christmas, with the revenue benefiting a selection of charitable causes.

Storage Room Treasures

The presents reportedly stored in a repository on the upper level of the government headquarters. Reports indicate that Meloni furthermore considering auction off gifts given to her political forerunners that have been gathering dust over a long period.

The detailed catalog is yet to be made public, but partial details emerged earlier this year when a detailed register of items received was submitted to lawmakers. The query raised if a rule restricting expensive presents was being followed. According to regulation, a prime minister cannot take home presents worth more than €300.

A Global Assortment of Presents

The collection includes:

• A scarf from the Albanian prime minister, reportedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A traditional Kerala dress from the Indian leader.
• A box of jewellery from the Slovakian president.
• A fine china tea service and six bottles of wine from Hungary's leader.
• A ceramic bowl from the ex-American leader.
• A electronic pad from the Ukrainian president.
• Paintings from Moldova.
• Additional objects including makeup, 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," observers have said.

Political Backdrop

The prime minister has received praise, mostly from within her party, with building relationships with foreign leaders and making Italy as a key protagonist on the world stage once again.

This charitable initiative represents a distinct method to manage the protocol gifts that accumulate during a political career.