Swiss finance minister Hans-Rudolf Merz has never received much international attention, and has been subject to some criticism at home over his domestic policies. But now the 67-year-old pinstriped politician has become an internet hit after collapsing in laughter while delivering a parliamentary speech about the otherwise banal subject of spiced meat imports.

Bündnerfleisch, an air-dried beef product, so tickled Merz's funny bone that he could not stop himself convulsing with giggles in the Swiss parliament. He was, apparently, particularly amused by the bureaucratic language in which the bill was written. The result is a video of a balding, grey-suited minister laughing uncontrollably, accompanied by giggles and applause from his parliamentary colleagues.

The spectacle has been viewed by more than 300,000 people on YouTube and other websites since Monday, although most of them do not understand the language he is speaking. "I don't understand anything, but it's always funny," says a commentator.

Merz, who had a multiple bypass operation following a heart attack two years ago, was due to retire as finance minister next month. His reputation was not a great one – he was widely criticised in recent years for signing away much of Switzerland's banking secrecy and failing to secure the release of two Swiss citizens held by Libya. But his latest performance offers some hope for a more positive legacy and has prompted speculation that he has a future career as a comedian. His outburst has even led one maker of air-dried meats to advertise their products with the slogan: "Never lose your sense of humour."

He's not the first person to succumb to laughter on air. BBC Radio 4 newsreader Charlotte Green managed to crack up during the Today programme after playing a clip of the oldest known recording of the human voice.