Biden Bowl, Any Takers? Italy's PM to Sell International Gifts for Good Cause

Getting rid of unwanted offerings could be viewed as somewhat rude – except if it's done in the proper manner.

A Charitable Clear-Out

Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell an estimated 270 gifts given to her by world leaders while abroad. The diverse haul could include objects like a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentinian president Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gold heels.

These items, collectively, are worth an estimated €800,000. They will be put up for sale via competitive bidding by a Rome-based auction firm. A date remains to be announced, but the goal is to conduct the sale before Christmas, with the proceeds donated to a selection of charitable causes.

Palazzo Chigi Holdings

The items reportedly stored in a repository on the upper level of the government headquarters. It has been reported that Meloni furthermore planning to auction off gifts received by her preceding prime ministers that have been sitting unused indefinitely.

The full gift list is yet to be officially released, but partial details was gleaned earlier this year when a detailed register of all declared gifts was presented in parliament. The query raised if a statutory cap on gift value was being followed. By law, a prime minister must declare presents worth more than €300.

An International Array of Presents

Among the items:

• A woven wrap from the leader of Albania, reportedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A sari from Kerala from the Indian leader.
• A case of jewelry from the president of Slovakia.
• A fine china tea service and six bottles of wine from Hungary's leader.
• A pottery dish from the former US president.
• A digital device from the Ukrainian president.
• Artworks 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," observers have said.

Diplomatic Backdrop

The prime minister has received praise, mostly from her allies, with winning over international counterparts and positioning Italy as a key protagonist on the global scene once again.

The forthcoming sale symbolizes a unconventional way to deal with the state presents that are collected during a leader's tenure.