🔗 Share this article Biden Bowl, Any Takers? Meloni to Auction Off World Leaders' Gifts for Charity Relinquishing undesired offerings could be seen as slightly impolite – unless it's done for a noble purpose. A Charitable Auction The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, is set to sell an estimated 270 gifts given to her by international figures while abroad. This unusual assortment is said to contain gifts including a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentinian president Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gilded heels. These items, collectively, are worth an estimated €800,000. The plan is to put up for sale in a public auction by a Rome-based fine art auction house. An exact timeline is yet to be set, but the aim is to conduct the sale during the holiday season, with the proceeds donated to a selection of charitable causes. Storage Room Treasures The items are said to be locked away in a storage room on the third floor of Palazzo Chigi. Sources state that Meloni is also planning to auction off gifts received by her predecessors that have been gathering dust for years. The full gift list remains officially released, but some insight were revealed earlier this year when a detailed register of items received was submitted to lawmakers. The discussion centered on if a rule restricting expensive presents was being honored. By law, a prime minister is not permitted to keep presents worth more than €300. A Global Assortment of Gifts Notable gifts feature: A woven wrap 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 set of adornments from the Slovakian president. A porcelain tea set and six bottles of wine from the Hungarian prime minister. A ceramic bowl from the ex-American leader. A digital device from the leader of Ukraine. Artworks from the Moldovan government. Additional objects including cosmetics, a board, and several rugs received during trips to Libya and other Arab nations. "Perhaps the oddest gifts included the Milei figurine and the blue python skin shoes," reports suggest. Diplomatic Context The prime minister has received praise, particularly from her own political sphere, with winning over international counterparts and making Italy as a significant player on the international platform once again. This charitable initiative symbolizes a unconventional way to handle the protocol gifts that are collected during a time in office.