🔗 Share this article Biden Bowl, Any Takers? Italy's PM to Sell World Leaders' Gifts for Charity Passing on unwanted gifts can be viewed as slightly impolite – except if it's done in the proper manner. A Philanthropic Sale The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction a reported 270 gifts given to her by foreign dignitaries on official trips. The diverse haul is said to contain items such as a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentinian president Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gilded heels. The collection, together, are worth an estimated €800,000. They will be auctioned off in a public auction by a Rome-based fine art auction house. An exact timeline is yet to be set, although the intention is to hold the auction by year's end, with all funds raised donated to various charities. Palazzo Chigi Treasures The items are said to be locked away in a storage room on the upper level of Palazzo Chigi. Sources state that Meloni is also planning to auction off gifts given to her predecessors that have been gathering dust for years. The full gift list has not yet been disclosed, but partial details was gleaned earlier this year when an 11-page list of items received was presented in parliament. The query centered on whether a rule restricting expensive presents was being followed. By law, a prime minister cannot take home presents valued above €300. A Global Array of Gifts The collection includes: A silk accessory from the Albanian prime minister, allegedly given to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad. A sari from Kerala from India's prime minister. A set of adornments from the president of Slovakia. A porcelain tea set and six bottles of wine from Hungary's leader. A ceramic bowl from the former US president. A electronic pad from the Ukrainian president. Paintings from Moldova. Various other items including cosmetics, a board, and several rugs received during trips to Libya and other Arab nations. "Possibly the most unusual gifts were the statuette from Milei and the exotic footwear," observers have said. Diplomatic Context The prime minister has received praise, mainly from within her party, with building relationships with global statesmen and re-establishing Italy as a significant player on the international platform once again. This charitable initiative represents a distinct method to handle the protocol gifts that accumulate during a time in office.