French MPs spice up dull debates with online poker

French MPs spice up dull debates with online poker

Monday, 26 November 2012

You'd think that politicians in the French National Assembly would be using their wifi connection to keep up to date with parliamentary business and following domestic and international affairs. Instead Gallic politicians have been putting it to, shall we say, more creative use.

A number of French politicos have been spotted spicing up particularly tedious parliamentary debates by opening up an online poker table or two on their tablet devices. Others have been spotted doing online shopping and playing games of chess.


The poker playing legislators have provoked plenty of criticism and led to calls for the introduction of a scrambling device in the French parliament.


Former parliamentary speaker and now president of France's constitutional council Jean-Louis Debré told the Daily Telegraph, "One doesn't elect representatives of the people for them to turn up and play cards. In that case, I'd frankly rather they didn't show up at all. It's execrable for democracy."


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Tags: France, politicians