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Passing on unneeded offerings can be considered slightly impolite – unless it's done in the proper manner.

A Philanthropic Clear-Out

Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction around 270 items bestowed upon her by foreign dignitaries on official trips. This unusual assortment is said to contain items such as a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gilded heels.

The presents, collectively, are valued at around €800,000. The plan is to sold via competitive bidding by a Rome-based art dealer. A date remains to be announced, but the intention is to hold the auction during the holiday season, with the revenue benefiting non-profit organizations.

Storage Room Holdings

The items are currently kept in a repository on the third floor of Palazzo Chigi. Reports indicate that Meloni additionally intending to auction off gifts given to her predecessors that have been sitting unused indefinitely.

The full gift list has not yet been disclosed, but a glimpse emerged earlier this year when an 11-page list of all declared gifts was submitted to lawmakers. The query focused on whether a rule restricting expensive presents was being honored. Legally, a prime minister must declare presents worth more than €300.

An International Array of Presents

Notable gifts feature:

• A woven wrap from the Albanian prime minister, allegedly 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 porcelain tea set and a selection of wines from Hungary's leader.
• A ceramic bowl from the former US president.
• A electronic pad from the Ukrainian president.
• Watercolour paintings from Moldova.
• Various other items including makeup, a board, and numerous carpets from trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.

"Perhaps the strangest gifts were the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," reports suggest.

Diplomatic Context

The prime minister has received praise, mainly from her allies, with garnering support from international counterparts and making Italy as a significant player on the international platform once again.

The forthcoming sale represents a unconventional way to deal with the protocol gifts that are collected during a political career.