French Lawmaker’s ’Potato’ Slip-Up Sparks Laughter During Chip Manufacturing Vote

French MPs adopted an amendment in the night of Friday that favors French chip manufacturers. While the vote took place without incident, what caught attention was the tasty slip of the tongue by Naïma Moutchou, the presiding officer. As she announced the result of the vote, the Vice-President of the National Assembly confused the 202 "voters" with "potatoes", reports Huffington Post. Enough to provoke the hilarity of her colleagues. "Excuse me dear colleagues, I can’t get over it," she then joked in front of the amused deputies who did not fail to applaud her.

The amendment on French chips, an initiative of the Macronists, the National Rally and the Socialists, aims to reduce the taxation of the energy used in chip factories. Dehydrated plant or vegetable producers are entitled to a reduction on their natural gas consumption. However, this is not the case for potato producers. By adopting this amendment, the deputies have rectified the exception, in order to make the producers more competitive against foreign competitors - especially Belgian ones - who already have a reduced rate. With the adoption of this amendment, "we are promoting the relocation of production and strengthening our food sovereignty," said RN deputy Guillaume Florquin.

His LFI colleague, LFI deputy Éric Coquerel, agrees: "Beyond the slightly amusing side, it’s true that most of the chips made in France are often artisanal and still healthier than industrial chips."