🔗 Share this article Milei Statuette, Anyone? Italy's PM to Auction Off International Gifts for Charity Getting rid of unneeded gifts could be seen as somewhat rude – unless it's done for a noble purpose. A Philanthropic Auction The leader of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell an estimated 270 presents received by her by foreign dignitaries during her travels. This unusual assortment is said to contain items such as a miniature chainsaw-holding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gold heels. The collection, collectively, are valued at around €800,000. They will be auctioned off to the highest bidder by a Italian fine art auction house. The specific date has not been finalized, but the intention is to conduct the sale before Christmas, with the revenue donated to a selection of charitable causes. Storage Room Treasures The items reportedly kept in a storage room on the upper level of the government headquarters. Reports indicate that Meloni furthermore considering auction off gifts given to her preceding prime ministers that have been sitting unused for years. The detailed catalog is yet to be made public, but a glimpse was gleaned earlier this year when an 11-page list of items received was presented in parliament. The query centered on if a statutory cap on gift value was being respected. Legally, a prime minister cannot take home presents worth more than €300. A Global Array of Presents Among the items: A scarf from the leader of Albania, reportedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad. A customary Indian garment from the Indian leader. A set of adornments from the Slovakian president. A fine china tea service and a selection of wines from the Hungarian prime minister. A ceramic bowl from the ex-American leader. A electronic pad from the leader of Ukraine. Watercolour paintings from Moldova. Additional objects including makeup, a skateboard, and numerous carpets from trips to Libya and other Arab nations. "Perhaps the most unusual gifts included the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," reports suggest. Political Context The prime minister has received praise, mostly from her own political sphere, with winning over global statesmen and making Italy as a key protagonist on the global scene once again. This charitable initiative highlights a unconventional way to handle the protocol gifts that are collected during a political career.