Biden Bowl, Anyone? Italy's PM to Auction Off International Gifts for Good Cause
Relinquishing undesired presents can be considered a little discourteous – unless it's done for a noble purpose.
A Charitable Sale
Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction a reported 270 presents received by her by international figures on official trips. This unusual assortment is said to contain gifts including a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentinian president Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gold heels.
The presents, collectively, are worth an estimated €800,000. They will be auctioned off in a public auction by a Rome-based art dealer. An exact timeline remains to be announced, although the intention is to conduct the sale by year's end, with all funds raised benefiting non-profit organizations.
Palazzo Chigi Collection
The presents are currently kept in a repository on the third floor of the government headquarters. It has been reported that Meloni furthermore planning to auction off gifts given to her predecessors that have been stored away over a long period.
A complete inventory remains disclosed, but partial details were revealed earlier this year when an 11-page list of official presents was presented in parliament. The question centered on whether a legal value limit was being honored. By law, a prime minister must declare presents worth more than €300.
An International Assortment of Gifts
The collection includes:
- A scarf from the Albanian prime minister, reportedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
- A traditional Kerala dress from the Indian leader.
- A case of jewelry from the Slovakian president.
- A porcelain tea set and six bottles of wine from the Hungarian prime minister.
- A pottery dish from the ex-American leader.
- A electronic pad from the Ukrainian president.
- Paintings from Moldova.
- Various other items including cosmetics, a skateboard, and numerous carpets from trips to North African and Middle Eastern countries.
"Maybe the strangest gifts included the Milei figurine and the blue python skin shoes," observers have said.
Political Context
Supporters have applauded Meloni, mostly from her own political sphere, with building relationships with foreign leaders and making Italy as a significant player on the international platform once again.
This charitable initiative symbolizes a distinct method to deal with the state presents that build up during a leader's tenure.
