Milei Statuette, Any Takers? Italy's PM to Auction Off World Leaders' Gifts for Good Cause
Relinquishing unwanted presents can be viewed as slightly impolite – except if it's done for a noble purpose.
A Philanthropic Auction
The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell a reported 270 items bestowed upon her by world leaders on official trips. The diverse haul is said to contain items such as a miniature chainsaw-holding statuette of Argentinian president Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gilded heels.
These items, together, are worth an estimated €800,000. The plan is to auctioned off to the highest bidder by a Rome-based auction firm. An exact timeline is yet to be set, but the aim is to hold the auction by year's end, with all funds raised going to a selection of charitable causes.
Palazzo Chigi Collection
These gifts reportedly stored in a storage room on the upper level of Palazzo Chigi. Sources state that Meloni is also intending to auction off gifts given to her political forerunners that have been sitting unused for years.
The full gift list has not yet been disclosed, but a glimpse was gleaned earlier this year when a detailed register of all declared gifts was reviewed by officials. The query centered on if a legal value limit was being followed. By law, a prime minister must declare presents valued above €300.
A Global Assortment of Presents
Among the items:
- A scarf from the Albanian prime minister, allegedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
- A customary Indian garment from India's prime minister.
- A box of jewellery 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 tablet from the Ukrainian president.
- Artworks from the Moldovan government.
- Various other items including makeup, a skateboard, and numerous carpets received during trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.
"Possibly the strangest gifts included the Milei figurine and the blue python skin shoes," one might note.
Diplomatic Backdrop
Meloni has been credited, mostly from within her party, with building relationships with foreign leaders and making Italy as a significant player on the world stage once again.
The forthcoming sale represents a novel approach to handle the state presents that accumulate during a political career.
