🔗 Share this article Milei Statuette, Anyone? Italy's PM to Sell International Gifts for Good Cause Passing on unwanted presents can be viewed as slightly impolite – except if it's done the right way. A Charitable Sale Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell an estimated 270 presents received by her by foreign dignitaries on official trips. The eclectic collection is said to contain objects like a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gilded heels. The presents, combined, have an approximate value of €800,000. They are scheduled to be put up for sale via competitive bidding by a Italian fine art auction house. An exact timeline has not been finalized, although the aim is to hold the auction before Christmas, with the proceeds donated to non-profit organizations. Storage Room Collection These gifts are said to be locked away in a storage room on the upper level of Palazzo Chigi. Reports indicate that Meloni additionally intending to auction off gifts received by her preceding prime ministers that have been gathering dust for years. The full gift list is yet to be disclosed, but a glimpse was gleaned earlier this year when a comprehensive document of all declared gifts was submitted to lawmakers. The question raised whether a rule restricting expensive presents was being followed. According to regulation, a prime minister is not permitted to keep presents exceeding €300. A Global Assortment of Gifts Notable gifts feature: A woven wrap 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 case of jewelry from the president of Slovakia. A porcelain tea set and six bottles of wine from the Hungarian prime minister. A ceramic bowl from the former US president. A electronic pad from the leader of Ukraine. Watercolour paintings from Moldova. Additional objects including makeup, a skateboard, and several rugs received during trips to Libya and other Arab nations. "Maybe the strangest gifts included the statuette from Milei and the exotic footwear," one might note. Political Context The prime minister has received praise, mostly from her allies, with building relationships with global statesmen and re-establishing Italy as a significant player on the global scene once again. This unique auction represents a novel approach to deal with the protocol gifts that build up during a leader's tenure.