Meloni gift auction puts Dbeibah’s foreign outreach in spotlight

TRIPOLI -

A decision by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to put a collection of valuable diplomatic gifts up for sale at a public auction sparked widespread controversy in Libya, particularly luxury jewellery (a complete parure) that she received from the Libyan side and is believed to have been presented during previous meetings with the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah or members of his delegation.

The move comes in implementation of Italian law, which prohibits officials from personally retaining gifts valued at more than 300 euros. Such gifts are registered as state property and their proceeds are sold for charitable purposes. Among around 270 items offered for sale, the Libyan jewellery emerged as one of the most prominent pieces, alongside small Libyan camel figurines and luxury carpets from other Arab countries. The auction is being organised by the Roman auction house Bertolami Fine Art and will run between January and June 2026.

In Libya, many have viewed the step as an indirect diplomatic slight and a serious communications failure by Dbeibah’s government, particularly given the strategic partnership between Rome and Tripoli on energy, irregular migration and security cooperation.

Activists and observers argued that selling gifts presented by Dbeibah or his government diminishes the value of diplomatic symbols and could be interpreted as disregard for Dbeibah’s efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.

Some Libyans criticised the move on social media, describing it as evidence of Italy’s lack of respect for bilateral ties, despite mutual dependence in tackling migration and exploiting gas resources.

Others noted that valuable gifts reflect a common diplomatic tradition, but that selling them is seen as a negative signal at a time when Dbeibah’s government is seeking to bolster its international legitimacy amid internal challenges.

Italian sources, for their part, stressed that the procedure is a routine legal measure aimed at transparency and supporting charitable organisations, and that it does not target any specific country. They noted that the gifts include items from other world leaders, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former US President Joe Biden.

Meloni and Dbeibah met several times, most recently in 2024 during economic forums.

The criticism comes amid public discontent over the Dbeibah government’s spending on expensive diplomatic gifts, after previous reports revealed the waste of millions of dollars, reinforcing calls for accountability and transparency when it comes to the use of public funds. No official comment has yet been issued by Dbeibah or his government regarding this criticism.